Lessons learned 

The two main lessons that can be drawn from the implementation Sava project so far (2004) are:

• Setting up the organisational structure to implement the Sava Framework Agreement (in which the Sava Basin countries agreed to cooperate on management of the Sava) and which should allow for smooth communication and coordination between the respective countries is a time consuming and complex process because of its legal and financial implications. These implications were not sufficiently tackled during the negotiation process that led to the signing of the Framework Agreement and it takes more time than anticipated to solve these issues now the agreement has been signed.

• Communication between the water sector on the one hand and the nature protection and environmental sector on the other hand in each of the countries is not common practice. With an exception for Croatia, where the water sector and the nature protection sector co-operated in the evaluation of Lonsjko Polje, the nature protection sector appeared not to be aware of the activities and objectives of the (Interim) Sava Basin Commission and of the Dutch project focusing on integrating the protection and management of ecosystems into River Basin Management  Ongoing efforts in terms of training and institutional strengthening is required to achieve Integrated River Basin Management.

For an overview of the project see:

Lessons Learned so far (project not yet finished)