The GEF IW:LEARN3 Activity 1b

Learn more about GEF IW:LEARN3 Activity 1b.

The road to GEF IW:LEARN3

IW:LEARN3 builds on the outcomes of a successful 4-year project (Operational Phase 2004-2008) and an earlier 3-year pilot project (Pilot Phase 2000-2003).

Component D - Innovation of the Operational Phase 2004-2008 included the GEF IW:LEARN Activity D2 and the Transboundary Waters Information Exchange Network for South-Eastern Europe (TWIEN-SEE) as an output of the activity.

Preparations for the GEF IW:LEARN3 project began in earnest at the end of 2009. The project commenced in November 2010 with the approval of the Project Preparation Grant (PPG) and is now operational.

GEF IW:LEARN3 Activity 1b

The aim of the GEF IW:LEARN3 Activity 1b: “Regional Dialogue in Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region on transboundary water resources management” (Activity) is to demonstrate innovative and feasible approaches to TWRM, by deepening multi-stakeholder dialogue and experience-sharing among GEF projects in Southeastern Europe and around the Mediterranean as well as sharing these experiences globally. Related projects in other regions as well as non-GEF cooperation processes will engage in and benefit from the process and outcomes of the Activity.

The project aims at extending mutual assistance with the Petersberg Phase II /Athens Declaration Process and other key policy processes in the region, including the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative (MED EUWI) and the UNECE Water Convention, through the wealth of experiences developed from on-going and upcoming GEF IW projects and related TWRM actions of other processes in the SEE as well as in the South and East Mediterranean.

The Activity is implemented by the Global Water Partnership - Mediterranean within the framework of the Petersberg Phase II / Athens Declaration Process. It contributes to the scope and objectives of the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative (MED EUWI) and the UNECE Water Convention.

The following are among the objectives of the Project:

Enable communication and outreach, hence cross-fertilization, among GEF projects and other related initiatives and the involved institutions and stakeholders at the regional, basin and national levels in each of the sub-regions that it will focus on;
Strengthen existing communities of practice and/or facilitate the creation of new as appropriate;
Facilitate the initiation of basin-wide dialogues aiming at enhancing cooperation among stakeholders and countries.
The achievement of the aim and objectives will be pursued trough the organization of:
Regional Roundtables in Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean to discuss technical issues related to TWRM and bring up the benefits of cooperation enabling cross-fertilization among participants and facilitating a regional dialogue on TWRM.
Targeted Capacity Building Workshops in Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean to strengthen the capacity of participants on specific aspects of TWRM and encourage the regional dialogue.

The GEF IW:LEARN3

GEF IW:LEARN3 is global project, encouraging learning, information sharing, collaboration and replication of good practices and experiences in the GEF International Waters portfolio.

IW:LEARN3 seeks to strengthen experience sharing and learning, dialogue facilitation and targeted knowledge sharing and replication among the projects of the global GEF portfolio in order to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of GEF IW projects to deliver tangible results in partnership with other IW initiatives. IW:LEARN3 represents a cooperative effort of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP), with the involvement of all GEF Agencies. Overall, this latest phase of IW:LEARN aims at scaling up successful related initiatives and services.

Learn more about IW:LEARN3 in the GEF IW:LEARN website.