The Plan covers an area that extends in Albania and Montenegro and considers impacts on the coastal - including marine - zone and the river basin from agriculture, tourism and urbanisation, as well as marine impacts on the river delta and coastal aquifers.
More than 60 representatives of national, regional and local authorities, NGOs and academia from both countries took part in the meeting. Deputy Minister for Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro, Ms. Marija Vukcevic, Deputy Minister for Economic Development, Trade and Entrepreneurship of Albania, Mr. Ervin Mete, as well as Deputy Mayor of the Ulcinj Municipality of Montenegro, Mr. Ardijan Mavric, opened the meeting and welcomed the preparation of the Plan.
The Meeting discussed the pressures to natural and anthropogenic environments, resulting impacts and underlying drivers as well as the managerial objectives and respective measures to achieve these. The key objectives identified were (i) strengthening cooperation for restoration and safeguarding of the area’s ecosystems and the services they provide, (ii) increasing resilience to climate change, and (iii) supporting creation of jobs and social welfare. The establishment of a transboundary governance mechanism was identified as a measure to ensure that relevant issues of transboundary importance are considered and acted upon bilaterally.
The Montenegrin Deputy Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Ms. Marija Vukcevic welcomed the prospect of a bilateral Framework Agreement between Albania and Montenegro, which would enable, among others, the establishment of a transboundary Committee overseeing implementation of the Plan. The draft legal document prepared by GWP-Med and PAP/RAC, with contribution from the Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science of the University of Dundee, incorporates best international experience and practice, providing the basis for official bilateral consultations for action at transboundary level.
The Plan provides an applicable comprehensive framework for the sustainable, integrated resources management at transboundary level in the Buna/Bojana Area. The “Integrative Methodological Framework” (IMF), which integrates established methodologies for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) was used for its preparation. The Plan operationalises the IMF providing a methodology for the sustainable management of the ecological continuum constituted by the marine and coastal zone, the river basin and the coastal aquifer.
The Consultation Meeting was followed by a field trip to the estuary of Buna/Bojana River and a boat ride upstream and around Ada Bojana Island. This allowed participants to witness firsthand the rich natural environment, and the economic activities in the area, including tourism and fishing.