Thematic Report on the Resource Nexus (Phase I of the Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus Assessment of the Drin Basin)
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ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2020/INF.3 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management Fifteenth meeting Geneva, 30 September – 2 October 2020 Item 7(b) of the provisional agenda Water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus in transboundary basins. Thematic report on the resource nexus (Phase I of the water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus assessment of the Drin basin) Note by the secretariat Summary This Thematic on the resource nexus presents the main findings about the key interlinkages and trade-offs among the sectors of water, land, energy and environment, assessed aiming at identifying cross-sectoral solutions. with the support of the Austrian Development Agency and in close cooperation with the Global Water Partnership Mediterranean (GWP-Med), as part of the Programme of Work 2019-2021. In particular, the report focuses on the potential of reconciling hydropower generation and flood protection, value of modern biomass value chain and sustainable forest management as well as possible impact of developments in agriculture and trade on water management and related ecosystems. The outcome of Phase II will bedeveloped into a Nexus Assessment Report on the modelling and quantification of selected transboundary nexus issues. The nexus assessment is coupled with the Global Environment Facility (GEF)/United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supported Project “Enabling transboundary cooperation and integrated water resources management in the extended Drin Basin” (2016-2020), executed by the GWP-Med in cooperation with the UNECE. The Thematic report is made available for the Working Group for information, including to illustrate the value of the nexus approach and possibilities of mainstreaming it to the Global Environment Facility’s (GEF) International Waters (IW) projects. The Thematic report informed and complemented the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) of the Drin River Basin, while at the same time setting the basis for the quantification of key intersectoral linkages that inform the Strategic Action Program (SAP) and its implementation, in particular regarding how action by the key economic sectors can contribute to the objectives of the SAP. Through the GEF International Waters Learning Exchange and Resource Network (IW:LEARN), the nexus work under the Water Convention, including the assessment methodology, has provided programmatic support to the GEF International Waters portfolio of projects on addressing the water-food-energy- ecosystems nexus. 1 Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis Thematic Report on the Resource Nexus (Phase I of the Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus Assessment of the Drin Basin) In the framework of: Memorandum of Understanding for the Management of the Extended Transboundary Drin Basin GEF Project “Enabling Transboundary Cooperation and Integrated Water Resources Management in the Extended Drin River Basin” The Coordinated Action for the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding for the management of the Drin basin (Drin CORDA) is supported by the GEF Drin Project. Thus, the latter constitutes an institutional project implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and executed by the Global Water Partnership (GWP) through GWP-Mediterranean (GWP-Med), in cooperation with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The Drin Core Group (DCG), being the multilateral body responsible for the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding serves as the Steering Committee of the Project. GWP- Med serves as the Secretariat of the DCG. Disclaimer: The document adheres to the UN rules and policies regarding the names and international status of countries and/or other geographical areas etc. The use of characterizations, names, maps or other geographical statements in this document in no way implies any political view or positions of the Parties which are executing and implementing the Project. For more information, please contact Web: www.gwpmed.org Headquarters: 12, Kyrristou str., 10556 Athens, Greece T: +30210-3247490, -3247267 F: +30210-3317127 Authors: Lucia de Strasser with input from Stephen Stec, for UNECE Water Convention Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 3 1.1 Aim and objectives of the nexus thematic report .................................................................................... 4 1.2 Rationale of the report and link to TDA ................................................................................................... 6 1.3 Structure of the report ............................................................................................................................. 8 PART 1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 9 2. The Drin basin and the socio-economic situation ........................................................................................... 9 2.1 Geography, topography, and hydrology .................................................................................................. 9 2.2 Administrative borders, settlements, and population............................................................................ 12 2.3 Socio-economic situation ....................................................................................................................... 13 3. Overview of the natural resources, availability and uses ............................................................................. 16 3.1 Water resources ..................................................................................................................................... 16 3.2 Land resources ....................................................................................................................................... 20 3.3 Energy resources .................................................................................................................................... 25 3.4 Environment and Ecosystems................................................................................................................. 31 4. National governance framework.................................................................................................................. 34 Box 1: Governance in Nexus Assessment ..................................................................................................... 35 4.1 National governance context ................................................................................................................. 36 4.2 Horizontal and strategic policies and legal frameworks ........................................................................ 38 4.3 Nexus-relevant policy ............................................................................................................................. 41 4.4 Institutional setting ................................................................................................................................ 55 4.5 Cross-sectoral governance ..................................................................................................................... 59 5. International policy, cooperation, and trade ................................................................................................ 64 5.1 Global standards and regional regimes relevant to nexus ..................................................................... 64 5.2 Basin level transboundary cooperation ................................................................................................. 69 5.3 Cross-sectoral coordination at Drin Basin level ...................................................................................... 71 5.4 Regional trade ........................................................................................................................................ 72 PART 2 ................................................................................................................................................................... 77 6. Hydropower and flooding ............................................................................................................................. 78 Box 2 Hydropower at the crossroad ............................................................................................................. 79 6.1 The importance of hydropower operation to flood management ......................................................... 81 Box 3: The GIZ project Climate Change Adaptation in Transboundary Flood Risk Management in Western Balkans ......................................................................................................................................................... 83 6.2 Implications of a “flood-smarter” hydropower sector ........................................................................... 83 1 7. Biomass and forest management................................................................................................................. 86 7.1 Issues in the wood biomass value chain ......................................................................................... 88 7.2 Modern wood energy for sustainable forest management ................................................................... 89 8. Evolution of agriculture and irrigation ........................................................................................................