559 / 2024-07-31 03:23:55

Achieving SDG6 for Sustainable Water Supply and Wastewater Management in Southeastern Europe

Water Supply, Wastewater, IWRM, Capacity building, SEE Countries, SDG6

Subtheme 2: Integrated Water Resources Management > Topic 1: Water Resources Management system, policy and regulation

To assist three Southeastern Europe (SEE) countries, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, in meeting their SDG 6 targets while simultaneously enhancing their environment and advancing sustainable development, two UNESCO Water Centres from SEE were assigned a collaborative project, the findings of which are summarized in this paper. The paper offers an integrated strategy for achieving SDG6 focusing among others to objective 6B, which concerns stakeholder engagement, and specifically targets indicator 6.B.1. This indicator evaluates the extent to which local administrative units have established and operationalized policies and mechanisms for involving local communities in water and sanitation management. A combination of in-person interviews, site visits, data collecting and analysis from literature, and a standardized questionnaire directed at local and regional water agencies to describe and analyze the current state of water resource management in the three SEE countries. The more pressing needs related to drinking water and wastewater security were investigated. Subsequently, a thorough evaluation encompassing water and wastewater services, water infrastructure, policy issues, funding, and management aspects was conducted to provide a comprehensive review. Key areas of focus include the identification of priority needs, the need for water conservation plans/policies, the detection of areas where the capacity-building efforts needs strengthening, and the examination of potential barriers to the financial sustainability of the water utilities. The results highlight the shortcomings of the target countries in developing and executing a comprehensive water strategy that will facilitate the timely and effective fulfillment of SDG 6. A series of recommendations were suggested to support the achievement of SDG6 in the three countries.