March 19 (SeeNews) - The World Bank said it has brought together leaders and policy makers from five southeast European countries to discuss the importance of regional cooperation in water management along the Sava and Drina river corridors.
"More strategic water management among Sava-Drina River riparian countries – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia – creates a tangible opportunity for coordination to unleash the potential of this shared resource,” Linda Van Gelder, World Bank Western Balkans regional director said at the meeting held in Bosnia's Brcko District on Monday, according to a press release issued by the bank.
Van Gelder added that the World Bank aims to enhance job creation, agricultural production, transport, tourism and energy generation, thus expanding the potential of the shared resources of the Sava and Drina waterways and securing their sustainable use.
Since the two rivers form most of the boundaries between the countries, the development of the river corridors as shared assets has been hampered, with disastrous floods continuing to threaten the population, the World Bank said.
"Conventional investment planning that limits the decision within the national boundary has prevented multi-purpose investments that can capture benefits across borders and sectors," the Bank said.
David Michaud, World Bank practice manager was quoted as saying: "By working together, the region’s countries can improve economic growth and protect their people, their economies and their environment from water risks."
The World Bank said it will continue to work with the teams in the region to prepare the Sava and Drina Rivers Corridor Programme, which aims to enhance regional integration and economic growth, by improving waterway navigability, transboundary water management and flood protection.
Brcko is an independent local self-government unit in Bosnia and Herzegovina.