Agreement to link IWRM and ICZM in the Buna/Bojana river

With a focus on the Buna/Bojana transboundary river (shared between Albania and Montenegro), a methodology is being developed that effectively links IWRM and ICZM (integrated coastal zone management). This work includes developing a joint IWRM/ICZM generic planning framework and working towards the launch, in 2012, of the joint IWRM/ICZM Plan for this specific transboundary basin.

Activities have been implemented by GWP Mediterranean, the UNEP-MAP Priority Actions Programme Regional Activity Centre (PAP/RAC), UNESCO, and the Mediterranean component of the EU Water Initiative (MED EUWI). 'Integrating the integrated approaches' to water and coastal management, which up to now have addressed each other's concerns but have worked in isolation, will lead to a new generation of holistic plans linked to sustainable investments. For the Buna/Bojana area, the on-going plan will serve around 200,000 inhabitants, a much greater number of visitors and a range of ecosystems.