In an effort to find solutions to water challenges, a project "Environmental state and sustainable management of Hungarian-Slovakian transboundary groundwater bodies - ENWAT", supported by European Community Initiative INTERREG IIIA, was launched in 2006.
Water management plans were developed for three trans-boundary groundwater bodies in Hungary and Slovakia - Ipoly River Valley, Bodrog River Region and Aggtelek-Slovak Karst.
The project also provided data on groundwater quality and quantity for decision makers as well as local inhabitants.
The main participants of the ENWAT project were the Geological Institute of Hungary and Geological Survey of Slovak Republic.
Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), Smaragd-GSH, Hungary and HYDEKO, Slovakia were subcontractors of the project. GTK was responsible for the water management plans.
As to the lessons learned, the project showed up that using independent third party in preparing groundwater management plan gives a good overview of actual strengths or weaknesses.
Cross border co-operation works also better on the lowest possible level, i.e. local municipalities and expert organizations rather than on the higher level.