IOWater - International News

5 Information: Fax: +33 1 44 90 88 60 - E-mail: secretariat@inbo-news.org The News N° 29 international events More than 600 participants from around 90 countries gathered in Astana, Kazakhstan for the 8 th session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP8) to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention), parti­ cularly in relation to SDG 6.5.2. indicator. This meeting, jointly organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Euro­ pe(UNECE), which is servicing the Water Convention, and the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, was the first Meeting of the Parties to be held in Asia and with African Parties. As global momentum expands towards glo­ bal cooperation in transboundary waters, more than 15 countries outside the pan-European region have announced their wish to ratify the Water Convention, following the first accessions from Chad and Senegal. These accessions will strengthen cooperation agree- ments in transboundary basins, with a view to better adapting to the growing water crisis. MOP8 has also adopted a new strategy for the global implementation of the Convention to strengthen cooperation and partnerships and thus promote sustainable development, peace and security. The meeting also saw the launch of the first report on implementation of the Convention. States emphasised that regular balance sheets were a means to identify gaps in their cross-border cooperation and to take advan- tage of them to act. During a high-level debate attended by INBO, more than 20 representatives (Ministers, Vice-Ministers, Secretaries of State) discussed the role of cooperation on transboundary waters and the Water Convention for popu­ lations, prosperity and peace as well as challenges such as increasing water scarcity and climate change, increasing pollution and pressures from various sectors. Finally, the meeting adopted the Programme of Work for 2019-2021, including a new area of activity entitled “Facilitating the Financing of Cooperation on Transboundary Waters”. IOWater took part in a plenary session to present the “EAST” project, an initiative of the European Union, to demonstrate the benefits of transboundary cooperation. INBO also organised two side events in coo­ peration with UNECE, one on climate change adaptation, the other on strengthening trans- boundary cooperation frameworks. www.unece.org 4 8 th Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention 10 -12 October 2018 - Astana - Kazakhstan A United Nations global high-level meeting to discuss and promote progress on transboundary water cooperation worldwide 9 OCTOBER 2018 High level Workshop on Financing Transboundary Basin Development 10-12 OCTOBER 2018 8th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) ASTANA I KAZAKHSTAN I 10-12 OCTOBER I 2018 Organizedby: ADB,EIB,GEF iw:learn,Kazakhstan, theNetherlands,Switzerland, theWorldBank and theUNECE secretariat of theWaterConvention First Meeting of the Parties held inAsia with membership beyond the pan-European region Side event on “Transboundary Cooperation” Guide on the funding of water and climate projects A World Bank, UNECE, AfDB and INBO publication The World Bank, UNECE, African Develop- ment Bank and INBO are jointly publish- ing a methodological guide on “Financing adaptation to climate change in trans- boundary basins: Preparing projects that can be funded”. This publication builds on the preparatory work and conclusions of the training work- shop “How to prepare bankable projects for financing climate change adaptation in transboundary basins”, held in Dakar, Senegal, from 21 to 23 June 2017 as part of the activities of the Global Network of Basins Working on Climate Change Adap- tation led by INBO and UNECE. The guide provides practical answers to the questions asked by donors and climate change adaptation project leaders, for example on the various stages of a project proposal and the associated procedures (different according to the donor), on the criteria for eligibility and how to designate a recipient of funds (the transboundary basin organisation or one of its Member States), the additionality of funding or the sustainability of expected results beyond the life cycle of the project. www.inbo-news.org/pub/Financing _ CC _ Basins 4 Financing Climate Change Adaptation in Transboundary Basins PreparingBankableProjects JANUARY 2019 DISCUSSION PAPER WATER GLOBAL PRACTICE PublicDisclosureAuthorized PublicDisclosureAuthorized PublicDisclosureAuthorized PublicDisclosureAuthorized