Regional
stories
Supporting transboundary cooperation in the Drina River basin
Two significant outputs emerged from the final meeting of the Steering Committee for Nexus Activities in the Drina River basin in May 2022 when representatives of the water, energy, agriculture and environment sectors in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia agreed on a Nexus Roadmap and validated an assessment report for the Drina basin.
The meeting to discuss sustainable development and transboundary cooperation in the Drina River basin was organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and GWP Mediterranean with support from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).
The Nexus Roadmap sets out 10 key objectives for coordinated cross-sectoral policy and transboundary governance and responds to needs previously highlighted by the three countries. It will support effective implementation of the EU’s Green Agenda for the Western Balkans in the Drina basin, ensuring that investments consider all sectors, capture potential synergies, and maximise use of available resources and platforms.
The Nexus Assessment Report presents an analysis of the role of renewable energy, particularly hydropower, in meeting the energy and climate objectives of the three countries, and a legal and governance-focused analysis of options to formalise transboundary flow regulation.
Exploring water–energy–food–ecosystems nexus solutions
Six farms in Jordan and Palestine have benefited from nature-based water–energy–food–ecosystems (WEFE) nexus solutions introduced as part of the MENA Water Matchmaker II project. The project was funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Union for the Mediterranean and implemented by GWP Mediterranean.
Newly constructed wetlands on each farm now provide tertiary treatment to wastewater supplied by two wastewater treatment plants, which is then used to irrigate young trees. The water is pumped using renewable energy supplied by newly installed solar panels. The nature-based WEFE nexus solution has given the farms access to higher-quality water resources, reduced their energy costs, and helped minimise their carbon footprint.
As well as proving the utility of WEFE nexus solutions, and the sustainable environmental benefits they offer, the Matchmaker II project has also shown how such solutions can create employment opportunities in the field of emerging technologies for priority beneficiary groups, such as youth and women.
Protecting every drop
Three-way collaboration in Greece between the municipal authorities on the Aegean island of Folegandros, The Coca-Cola Foundation, and GWP Mediterranean has led to innovative solutions to the island’s water scarcity, and to GWP Mediterranean presenting the project to the Greek Parliament.
The ‘Zero Drop’ programme had two main priorities – to reduce the gap between water supply and demand on the island, which attracts 40,000 tourists each year, and to improve water management, limit waste, and achieve zero water losses.
The first priority was achieved when three new seawater boreholes were drilled in 2022 to supply more water to the island’s desalination plants. This boosted water supply by 63 per cent. An awareness-raising campaign was used to achieve the second priority. Water was ‘given a voice’ in artistic visual material reminding residents and visitors of its importance to the life of the island. Zero Drop also developed a toolkit for owners of tourist accommodation to help them implement water-saving best practices, and educated all schoolchildren on the island, and more than 100 teachers of the Cyclades islands, about integrated water management.
The project also showcased innovative technologies that exploit new alternative sources of water for Folegandros, with six ‘hydropanels’ installed to convert air humidity into drinking water, using renewable solar energy. GWP Mediterranean marked the completion of the Zero Drop project by installing a water cooler in the main square, supplying water produced by the hydropanels.
