On 11 July 2011, the First Harmonisation Meeting for the management of the Buna/Bojana coastal area, river basin and aquifers (1st Buna/Bojana Harmonisation Meeting) took place in Podgorica, Montenegro. The meeting was organised with support of and in collaboration with: the Montenegrin Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism; the Albanian Ministry of Environment, Forests and Water Administration; UNEP-MAP; PAP/RAC; GWP-Med; and UNESCO-IHP.
The meeting was a stepping stone in the process for the preparation of the “Buna/Bojana Transboundary Integrated Management Plan”. In particular, the meeting was the opportunity to discuss and elaborate on the: baseline situation with regard to the main common issues identified in the river basin and the coastal area; stakeholders’ expectations with regard to the management of the Buna/Bojana area including the coastal, river basin and aquifer resources (develop a “vision”).
The meeting was attended by more than sixty targeted representatives of national and local stakeholders including the national, regional and local authorities, important economic sectors (such as agriculture, energy, hydropower, tourism, etc.), water users associations, academia, private sector, NGOs and civil society organisations.
