On April 12-13, a meeting was held with civil society in Gjirokastra and Vlora with the aim of sharing opinions, experiences and proposals for the establishment of a Civil Society Network (CSN) of the Vjosa Water Basin. All of the participating organizations agreed on the creation of this network and on May 26, 2023 the Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the associations of the Vjosa river basin for the creation of the Vjosa Civil Society Network.
The Civil Society Network (RRSHC) aims to involve civil society in the entire process of protection, management or long-term and sustainable development of the Vjosa River. The representative of the network will be part of the Water Basin Council.
The Civil Society Network of the Vjosa Basin aims to further develop the capacities of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in terms of responsible management and decision-making of water resources to ensure their participation in decision-making processes and water resources management and to ensure the most comprehensive participation and contribution of CSOs in the drafting of the Vjosa Water Basin Management Plan (Vjosa Basin Management Plan).
Next, the ESPID4Vjosa project team together with national experts will conduct a series of trainings for the Vjosa Civil Society Network.
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The process of creating the Vjosa Civil Society Network (RrShCV) begins…
The first round of meetings held in Gjirokastër and Vlorë aimed to present the RrShCV initiative as part of the #ESPID4Vjosa project.
Representatives from local civil society organizations in the districts of Gjirokastra and Vlora actively participated in the meetings and gave their opinions and proposals regarding to the operation and structure of the network.
The main goal of the ESPID4Vjosa project led by EcoAlbania is to support local organizations in developing their capacities for decision-making and responsible management of water resources. This will also help them to be more actively involved in the decision-making processes and management of water resources as well as to improve their comprehensive participation and contribution to the design of the Integrated Watershed Management Plan of the Vjosa River.
The VCSN initiative is an important step towards promoting sustainable management of water resources in the Vjosa river basin and fostering cooperation between civil society organizations in the region.
The “Vjosa Civil Society Network” (VCSN) is formalized.
- Today the local organizations of the Vjosa basin signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the operation of the VCSN network and participated in the workshop organized by EcoAlbania in Vlorë on the following topics:
- The role of municipalities’ involvement in decision-making processes in the water sector.
- The role of gender equality and marginalized groups in decision-making processes in the water sector
- The legal and regulatory framework of basin management as well as the participation of civil society in decision-making.
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