Pilot Projects and Experience Exchange Platform for Climate Change Adaptation in Transboundary Basins

1. Programme of pilot projects and platform for exchanging experience on climate change adaptation in transboundary basins Sonja Koeppel United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)

2. Background MOP5 recognized the urgency to promote adaptation to climate change in transboundary basins: • Adopted the Guidance • Established the programme of pilot projects • Decided to create a platform for the exchange of experience

3. Objectives of the pilot projects programme • Assist UNECE countries in implementing the Water Convention and the EU WFD under conditions of a changing climate; • Support countries and especially those in transition in developing adaptation strategies and measures; • Create positive examples showing benefits of and mechanisms for transboundary cooperation in adaptation; • Support dialogue and cooperation on the design of an adaptation strategy in the transboundary context. • Implement and test the Guidance

4. Structure and focus • Geographic focus mainly on Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia and South-Eastern Europe • Substantial focus mainly on developing adaptation strategy and less on implementing measures • Specific focus to be defined by countries; some focus on water scarcity, others on floods • Task Force on Water and Climate plays a facilitative and supportive, but not decision-making role • Platform for sharing experience, good practices, lessons learnt

5. Pilot projects • Projects directly supported by the secretariat and ENVSEC: • Central Asia: Chu Talas Basin (Kazakhstan, Kyrzgyzstan) • South-Eastern Europe: Sava River basin (Bosnia- Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia) • Eastern Europe: • Dniester basin (Ukraine, Republic of Moldova) • Neman (Belarus, Lithuania, Russian Federation)

6. Other pilot projects included in the programme • Rhine – elaboration of climate change adaptation strategy under ICPR • Danube – elaboration of climate change adaptation strategy under ICPDR • Meuse- Amice project • « Dauria going dry » - new pilot project by WWF Russian Federation and Daursky Biosphere

7. Progress so far • Pilot projects launched at workshop in May in Geneva • Dniester project: local launch and creation/ first meeting of new working group on climate change in June • Chu Talas: approval and consultations with Chu Talas Commission • Sava: start in Summer • Neman: preparatory phase

8. Possible deliverables • Common scenarios and models agreed upon by the participating neighbouring countries • Joint vulnerability assessment for the basin, incl. security, environmental, social and economic vulnerability • Proposal for coordinated measures to be taken in the specific basin enabling climate change adaptation • Detailed feasibility study on specific adaptation measures recommended

9. Objectives of the platform for exchanging experience • Enable exchange of practical experience and sharing of lessons-learned between Convention’s projects and with other projects in the region • Support countries in preparing national/regional adaptation strategies • Promote the implementation of the UNECE Guidance • Create a community of experts • Collect knowledge and experience

10. Elements of the platform • Online platform linked to/ as part of other platforms with Guidance material, collection of good and bad experiences • Annual face-to-face meetings and more frequent meetings of the core group of pilot projects • Thematic/ methodological studies if needed • Proposal for a database of experts

11. Timeframe

12. Questions for discussion • Do you have comments on the pilot projects? • What are your experiences with implementing the Guidance? • What should the platform contain to be most useful to you?

13. THANK YOU