1. Introduction on the Sava river basin
2. Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin (FASRB)
3. International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC)
4. Approach of the ISRBC
Komatina D. ISRBC, Integrated RBM The case of Sava River RBM
1. Integrated RBM and River Restoration –
The Case of the Sava River Basin
Dejan Komatina, Ph.D. Civ. Eng.,
Secretary, ISRBC
2. Overview
• Introduction on the Sava river basin
• Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin (FASRB) and
International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC)
• Approach of the ISRBC
• Conclusion
• Contact information
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5. Sava river basin
– Area: 97 713 km2 (the second largest Danube sub-basin; share: 12%)
– Average flow at the mouth: 1722 m3/s
(the largest Danube tributary; contribution: 25%)
– River length: 940 km (594 km of which is the waterway)
– Population: approx. 8.5 million
Country Share of the Share of the
basin (%) territory (%)
Albania 0.2 0.6
Bosnia & Herzegovina 39.2 75.8
Croatia 26.0 45.2
Montenegro 7.1 49.6
Serbia 15.5 17.4
Slovenia 12.0 52.8
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6. Sava river basin
• High environmental and socio-economic value
– Natural beauty
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7. Sava river basin
• High environmental and socio-economic value
– High landscape diversity
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8. Sava river basin
• High environmental and socio-economic value
– High biological diversity (natural wetlands, parks, protected areas)
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9. Sava river basin
• High environmental and socio-economic value
– Large retention areas
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10. Sava river basin
• High environmental and socio-economic value
– Large retention areas
7
A
6
B
Discharge (1000 m3/s)
5 C
4
3
2
1
0
1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0
River station (km)
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11. Sava river basin
• High environmental and socio-economic value
– High potential for transport of cargo and passengers
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12. Sava river basin
• High environmental and socio-economic value
– High potential for tourism and recreation
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13. FASRB background
• “Low share” of the engineered parts of the rivers
• There is “not much” to restore
• There is “much” to preserve
• Strong need for economic development
• A balanced approach needed to use the potential and
preserve the values simultaneously
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14. FASRB
• Decay of Yugoslavia – a substantial challenge to WRM in the
Sava river basin
– Sava river turned from the biggest national river of the former
country into an international river
– Appropriate institutional framework for WRM ceased to exist
– WRM restricted to a national level
– New, international framework required for (T)WRM
• Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin (FASRB)
– Signed in 2002, ratified in 2004
– The first development-oriented multilateral agreement in the
region signed after the Agreement on Succession
– Implemented by the ISRBC (B&H, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia)
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15. FASRB
• Key objective:
Transboundary cooperation
for sustainable development of the region
• Particular objectives – to establish:
– International regime of navigation
– Sustainable water management
– Sustainable management of hazards
(floods, droughts, accidents, etc.)
• Provides the ISRBC with the broadest scope of work among
European basin organizations (i.e. river/lake commissions)
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16. ISRBC
• Coordination of:
– Development of joint / integrated plans for the SRB
• River Basin Management Plan (according to EU WFD)
• Flood Risk Management Plan (according to EU Flood Directive)
– Establishment of integrated systems for the SRB
• GIS (according to EU INSPIRE Directive and WISE)
• RIS (according to EU RIS Directive)
• Meteorological and Hydrological Data Exchange System
• Flood Forecasting and Warning System
• Accident Emergency Warning System (use of the ICDPR’s system)
– Preparation of development programs for the SRB
• Navigation
• River tourism
• Other water uses
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17. ISRBC
• Coordination of (cont.):
– Harmonization of regulation (national EU)
– Creation of additional protocols to the FASRB
• Navigation regime
• Prevention of water pollution caused by navigation
• Flood protection
• Emergency situations
• Sediment management
• Transboundary impacts
• Cooperation / stakeholder involvement / public participation
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18. ISRBC projects
• Majority of the ISRBC activities performed through
implementation of projects
• All the projects agreed by the four countries
– New Strategy on Implementation of the FASRB
– Action Plan for the Period 2011-2015
• Full conformity with the EU directives and strategies
– EU directives (WFD, Flood Directive, INSPIRE, RIS)
– EU strategies (EU Strategy for the Danube Region, EU 2020 Strategy)
• Share of internationally funded projects increased to 80%
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19. River basin management
• Current activities
– First Sava RBM Plan (EU WFD)
– Protocol on Sediment Management
– Protocol on Transboundary Impact
– Climate Adaptation Plan for the
Sava River Basin
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20. River basin management
• Planned projects
– Preparation and implementation of the Sava RBM Plan
• Implementation of the 1st Sava RBM Plan and its Programme of Measures
• Preparation of the 2nd Sava RBM Plan
– Examination of environmental status of sediment, water and biota
in the Sava river basin
– Implementation of the Climate adaptation plan for the Sava river basin
• Period of implementation: 2012 – 2015 and beyond
• All the projects included into the Action Plan of the EU Danube
Strategy as examples of projects
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21. Flood management
• Preparation of the Sava FRM Plan (EU Flood Directive)
– Protocol on flood protection to the FASRB (signed in 2010)
– Hydrological model of the SRB and the hydraulic model of the SR
– Linking FRM and the climate change assessment in the SRB
• Period of
implementation:
2013 – 2015
and beyond
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22. Accident prevention and control
• Accident Emergency Warning System
– Participation in testing of the existing system of the ICPDR
– Efforts to improve the work of PIACs in the Sava countries
• Draft Protocol on Emergency Situations to the FASRB
• Water Pollution Contingency Management Plan
– Project included into the Action Plan of the EU Danube Strategy
– Period of implementation: 2012 – 2014
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23. Sava GIS
• Initial phase of the Sava GIS establishment
– Performed in accordance with the Sava GIS Strategy
– To be finalized in 2012
– Funding for the initial
phase secured
• EC grant
• Contributions of the Parties
• Completion of the Sava GIS
– Included in the Action Plan
of EU Danube Strategy
– Implementation period:
2012 – 2015 and beyond
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24. Hydro-meteorological issues
• Hydro-meteorological data
exchange system
• Hydrological Yearbook of the Sava
River Basin (the first since 1986)
• Planned projects (2012 – 2015)
– Development of the Flood
Forecasting and Warning System
for the Sava River Basin
– Hydrological Study for the Sava
River Basin (the first since 1976)
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25. Navigation development
• Rehabilitation of the waterway infrastructure
– Planning phase under finalization
(studies, design)
– Waterway marking system restoration
Sisak Bosanski Brod Brcko Belgrade
3.5 – 9.6 million tonnes 5.8 – 15.5 million tonnes 7.8 – 20.8 million tonnes
3-8
million
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26. Navigation development
• Improvement of navigation safety and technical standards
(reduction of the risk of water pollution
caused by navigation)
– Rules harmonized with the
EU and UNECE regulation
– Protocol on prevention of water
pollution caused by navigation
to the FASRB
– Development of RIS
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27. Navigation development
• Integration with environmental
protection
– Involvement in processes / projects
on Danube and EU level
– Involvement in the ISRBC activities
• Sava RBM Plan
• Climate Adaptation Plan
• Sediment Management Plan
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28. Navigation development
• Activities planned
– Rehabilitation of the Waterway on the Sava River
• Detailed design (Belgrade – Sisak)
• EIA study (Belgrade – Račinovci)
• Execution of river training works
• Period of implementation: 5-6 years
– Further Development of the Sava RIS
• Period of implementation: 2012 – 2015 and beyond
– Establ. of the Ship Waste Management System on the Sava River
• Period of implementation: 5 years (2014 – 2019)
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29. Hydropower development
• Joint Statement on guiding principles
for hydropower development and env.
protection to be developed
– Process launched by the ICPDR
(ISRBC involved)
– Replication of the Joint Statement
process on navigation (ICPDR, DC,
ISRBC)
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30. Tourism development
• Nautical and Tourism Guide of the Sava River
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31. Tourism development
• Activities planned
– Preparation of the Master Plan for Development of River Tourism
in the Sava River Basin
• Period of implementation: 2011 – 2013
– Development of the infrastructure for river tourism
• Period of implementation: 2013 – 2015 and beyond
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32. Other developments
• Planned project
– Fostering contribution of the SME sector to sustainable
development of the Sava River Basin
• Development of the infrastructure and facilities for river tourism
(e.g. nautical tourism, recreation, fishing) in the Sava river basin
• Development of projects related to food production and fish farming in
the Sava river basin
• Development of small hydropower plants in the Sava river basin
• Contribution of the SME sector to waste water and manure treatment
in the Sava river basin
• Development of small shipyards and ports in the Sava river basin
• Period of implementation: 2012 – 2015 and beyond
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33. Public participation
• “Sava NewsFlash” bulletin
(bilingual publication in English and
an official language of the ISRBC)
• Brochures and publications
• ISRBC web-site
• Press-releases
• Press-conferences & media briefings
• Consultation workshops
• Public presentations
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38. Public Participation
• A number of mechanisms established so far
• A top-down approach dominated in the initial phase of work
• The existing top-down approach to be enriched by introducing
a bottom-up component
(according to the new Strategy on Implementation of the FASRB)
• Establishment of the Sava Water Partnership – platform to
involve the governmental, non-governmental, academic and
business sector (feasibility study under development)
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39. Commitment of the Parties
• Sessions of the ISRBC
• Meetings of the Parties
• Other high-level meetings
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40. Added value
• Key features of the approach
– Cohesive, providing conditions for:
• Cooperation of the countries after the conflict
• Implementation of joint, mutually agreed, basin-wide projects
• Harmonization of national regulation, methodologies, procedures, …
– Integrated (whole basin; sustainability and development)
– Transparent (public participation)
– Aligned with the EU and UNECE regulation
(EU directives, UNECE conventions)
– Subregional (“finer resolution” and complementarity of results with
those on the regional scale)
– Pragmatic and practical (offering concrete “products” to the Parties)
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41. Added value
• Relevance to EU strategies
– EU Danube Strategy
– EU 2020 Strategy
• Interest of other regions
– Other parts of South-Eastern Europe
– Mediterannean region
– Western Europe
– Central Asia
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42. Challenges
• Differences between the countries
– EU membership status
– Eligibility for approaching funds
– Level of economic development (financial resources)
– Organizational structure in decision-making process
– Environmental awareness of the public
• Financing priority projects / strategic studies, establishment of
integrated systems
• Resolving conflicts of interests of different users of water
(transboundary level / national level / climate change)
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43. Challenges
• Lack of human and financial resources of the Parties
• Limited access to basic data (topographic, hydrologic, etc.)
• Twofold legal capacity of the ISRBC
– Making decisions (obligatory for the countries) in the field of navigation
– Providing recommendations in the field of water management
• In some countries
– Lack of appropriate institutional arrangements
– Lack of harmonization of the legislation with the EU acquis
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44. Conclusion
• The FASRB implementation is:
– demanding, in terms of
• need for resources of the Parties
• need for continuous, joint efforts of the Parties
– perceived by the Parties as a process providing multiple benefits
– making a steady progress toward the key objective –
sustainable development of the region within the basin
– an interesting example of the integrated RBM and river restoration ?
– a good practice example ???
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45. Contact information
International Sava River Basin Commission
Kneza Branimira 29
10000 Zagreb
Croatia
www.savacommission.org
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