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category Cooperation Financing News Transboundary cooperation
The European Union (EU) places water management at the core of its sustainable development efforts. With a financial commitment of €1.4 billion for the 2021 – 2023 period, the EU goes beyond funding: it also fosters partnerships that empower and drive innovation in watersheds worldwide.
Europe, with 60% of its territory covered by transboundary river basins, serves as a model for integrated water resource management. The experience gained through the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) has helped establish an effective governance structure, facilitating stakeholder cooperation for sustainable water resource management.
The Peer-to-Peer (P2P) project for Basin Organizations exemplifies this ambition by promoting exchanges between practitioners responsible for managing watersheds, lakes, rivers, and aquifers. The EU aims to encourage these organizations to collaborate on implementing their strategies, best practices, and tools. P2P builds upon the EU Water Initiative Plus project, which has notably supported Ukraine and Armenia in developing watershed management tools, identifying investment needs, and involving civil society.
INBO and the International Office for Water (OiEau) have been selected to lead this project due to their expertise. It is part of the broader Team Europe Initiative for transboundary water management in Africa and Central Asia.
The exchange of best practices, the sharing of tools, and the development of tailored governance frameworks are key to addressing the growing water-related challenges. Through P2P, basin organizations can learn from their peers and develop a community of practice.
Interview with Marjeta Jager, Deputy Director-General of the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA).