The region of Central and Eastern Europe
It has a total area of over 2 million km2. Most of this vast land area is located in two major catchment basins – rivers that drain into the Baltic Sea and those that drain into the Black Sea. Rivers in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and, to some extent, Ukraine discharge their flows into the Baltic Sea.
Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and parts of the Ukraine are located entirely in the Danube, Dniester and Dnieper River basins, which flow into the Black Sea. The Danube River Basin is by far the largest in Europe, draining nearly half the continent. The river itself courses through nine countries covering 2,850 kms on its way to the Black Sea.
Global Water Partnership Central and Eastern Europe (GWP CEE)
The GWP CEE governance structure comprises Partners, Country Water Partnerships, a Regional Council and a Regional Secretariat, based in Bratislava.
Partners
Membership is open to all organizations involved in river basin and water resource management. Currently the GWP CEE has more than 200 member organizations called "Partners" that are active in 12 countries.
Country Water Partnerships
There are 12 Country Water Partnerships are now actively operating in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.
Regional Council
The Regional Council, headed by its Chair and representing the 12 Country Water Partnerships, is the highest decision making body of the GWP CEE.
Regional Secretariat
The Regional Secretariat is responsible for the coordination and implementation of the regional workplan (currently running from 2001). The Secretariat oversees projects in close cooperation with the Regional Council and the Country Water Partnerships. The Secretariat is based in Bratislava and is located at the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute.
