Water Resources

IIDMA intends to contribute to the improvement of water management and quality fostering the efficiency and effectiveness of  laws and programs targeted to the protection of this resource.

The current activities within this area focuses in:
- promoting international cooperation in the management of shared river basins,
- supporting the correct transposition and implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive,
- assisting countries in the development of their legislation on water and access to this resource.

The main projects developed in this field are:

During 2005- 2006 members of IIDMA’s Team took part in a project financed by the World Bank, advising the Water Directorate of the Serbian Republic and the Executive Water Office of the Republic of Montenegro Republic in the development of their respective laws on water.

IberAqua Project: Development of Cooperation and Participatory Mechanisms for the Management of Iberian Basins (January 2002-March 2003)  Funders: DG Environment, Tinker Foundation, Fundaçao Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento, Portuguese Ministry of Environment.  Partner: Euronatura.

The project stemmed from the findings of the Ondina Project and it aimed to promote mechanisms for the sustainable management of shared river basins in Spain and Portugal as well as to the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive and the 1998 Convention on Cooperation for the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Spanish and Portuguese Basins.  Three participatory workshops were held in each of the three main river basins:  Duero (Zamora),  Tajo (Castelo Branco) and Guadiana (Mérida) gathering stakeholders from the two countries. The workshops gave stakeholders the opportunity to share concerns and needs and also to engage in a difficult but necessary dialogue. The results of the workshops were distributed and, as a result of the project, two booklets were published in June 2003.

The Implementation of the (future) EU Water Framework Directive in Spain: Practical Solutions to Enhance its Effectiveness (September 1999-September 2000). This project consisted in the organization and preparation of a seminar of experts and decision-makers and the editing and publication of a book  “La Aplicación de la Directiva Marco del Agua en España: Retos y Oportunidades" with the results of the seminar, which addressed the implications for Spain of the then future entry into force of the WFD and the practical strategies to ensure its effective implementation.  

IIDMA prepared a paper on the negotiation process of the WFD and convened the seminar on 21-22 February 2000 in Madrid where the paper was presented. The Institute invited 70 key persons from the European Commission, the Spanish and Portuguese Administrations, NGOs, business, agriculture and academia who were seated in a circle facing each other to facilitate debate. Six topics were addressed through the presentation of papers by invitee speakers and their debate by participants and speakers afterwards. The papers and discussants views in addition to the paper prepared by the Institute were published in the book “La Aplicación de la Directiva Marco del Agua en España: Retos y Oportunidades”introducir vínculo para ver la portada de este libro formally launched in a public event held in the Caixa Science Museum in September 2000. Funders: DG Environment, Fundación AGBAR, Fundación Biodiversidad.