The UNESCO Chair - International Network of Water-Environment Centres for the Balkans (INWEB) at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Greece, coordinated session 1.5.2. at the 6th World Water Forum in Marseilles, 12th - 17th March 2012. The session was entitled: DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE REGIONAL AGREEMENTS FOR COOPERATION AND PEACE IN TRANSBOUNDARY SURFACE AND GROUNDWATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT Background and objective Bi- and multi-lateral agreements on transboundary rivers, lakes and aquifer water resources management are important tools for enhancing effective cooperation, involving political commitment and implementing joint water management plans. There are three main obstacles for developing and implementing agreements on shared water management: (1) lack of political willingness, (2) differences in socio-economic and cultural levels between riparian countries and (3) lack of trust, conflicting objectives and different priorities between countries, in relation to their history, sovereignty and possible territorial claims. The main objective of this session is to identify tools and methodologies and to summarise innovative solutions in order to increase the number of such agreements, improve their quality and facilitate their implementation by involving stakeholder participation.
Programme Introductory remarks on the importance of effective regional agreements for cooperation and peace, including the current situation and future challenges – Gretchen Kalonji, Assistant Director General for Natural Sciences, UNESCO - Jacques Ganoulis UNESCO/INWEB, AUTh Presentation of new solutions and four relevant case studies to address effective solutions, two from transboundary groundwater aquifers and two from transboundary river basins - DIKTAS: Dinaric Karst Aquifer System, South Eastern Europe - Treidel Holger, UNESCO
- The Transboundary Aquifers and the Jordan River Basin - Ahmed AlYaqoubi, Water Resources
- Directorate, Palestinian Water Authority (PWA), - Deeb Abdelghafour, Water Resources Development,
- PWA
- The GUARANI Aquifer System, South America - Ofelia Tujchneider, CONICET, Argentina
- The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) - U.S.-Canada, Susan Hedman, USEPA -
- Mike Goffin, Environment Canada
Panel summary: solutions for new agreements and improving existing ones Interactive debate: lessons learnt, problems, tools and methodologies for effective solutions Concluding remarks and future activities An interview with Prof. Ganoulis, coordinator of the UNESCO Chair INWEB, may be found here (you will need to scroll down under the YouTube screen) interview 6th World Water Forum http://www.worldwaterforum6.org/en/
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