EU and INBO launch initiative for Peer-to-Peer learning among River Basin Organisations
Image: Saloum Delta National Park - Senegal, Joal Fadiout
28 Jan 2025 by The Water Diplomat

The European Commission and the International Network of Basin Organisations (INBO) have initiated a four-year programme of peer-to-peer support for Aquifer, Lake and River Basin Organisations. This programme, referred to as the Peer-to-Peer for Lake and River Organisations (P2P) programme, is the first of its kind, aiming to strengthen integrated and sustainable water resources management at basin level, against the background of growing pressures on freshwater resources and climate change.
The programme is anchored in the EU’s recognition of water management at basin level as a key driver of sustainable development. Guided by the Water Framework Directive, a central piece of legislation guiding the sustainability of water management in the EU, the development of strong partnerships on water are seen as fundamental to the improvement of its governance, the development of skills, and the leveraging of investment. The programme also rests on the view held by INBO that basin organisations are central to ensure the availability of water resources in sufficient quantity and quality for a range of different human, economic and environmental needs, which depends almost exclusively on the implementation of effective forms of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) within aquifer, lake and river basins. Basin Organisations, therefore, are central to the realisation of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (and more specifically targets 6.5.1 and 6.5.2).
The P2P programme was launched on the 24th of May 2024 during the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, when a broader commitment was made on the so-called ‘Bali Basin Champions Agenda’ which envisages capacity building and experience exchange among basin organizations worldwide. The programme calls on Basin Organisation teams to proactively respond and engage, in order to learn from and be inspired by their peers on selected topics.
Aims of the programme
Broadly speaking, the Peer-to-Peer for Basins Organisations programme seeks to enhance the capacities of basin organisation practitioners through peer-to-peer exchanges. The expected impacts of these measures include an improvement in sustainable water resources management as well as the enhanced resilience of basins to the effects of climate change.
In terms of content, the envisaged programme will revolve around three strategic objectives. The first of these is to promote and gradually develop peer-to-peer exchanges and partnerships between basin organisations. Secondly, the programme aims to boost the governance and institutional capacities of basin organizations on key thematic areas for IWRM. These include capacity building on aspects such as legal frameworks (drawing on lessons from the UN Water Conventions and the EU Water Framework Directive), the elaboration of river basin plans, the improvement of knowledge, monitoring, Water Information Systems and data sharing, and the improvement of mechanisms for financing and implementation.
Thirdly, it aims to establish a framework within which Basin Organisations can foster mutual cooperation, share knowledge and practices, and as a result, enable improved responses to global and local water management challenges. This is to be achieved through the sharing of effective strategies, practices, and tools as well as information on failed initiatives – providing a platform for learning from the insights and lessons of fellow practitioners, helping them to avoid common pitfalls and to implement efficient strategies.
Programme implementation
The programme commenced in September 2024 for an envisaged period of 48 months and within an initial budget of € 6 million and to potentially grow over time additional contributors. In terms of geographical focus, the programme is expected to focus on support for both transboundary and national Basin Organisations in Africa, as well as Latin America and Central and Southeast Asia. European Basin Organisations will be involved predominantly as peers, sharing their experiences with partner organisations in these regions. Although the focus of the programme is on Basin Organisations, participation in the programme by government water authorities, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and research organisations is also possible.
The first phase of the programme, which runs until the end of August 2025, is dedicated to the pre-identification of partnerships, involving the benchmarking of the process, the preparation of tailored partnerships, a restricted call for expressions of interest, and the establishment of the global platform. The second phase, lasting until February 2028, will involve meetings between basin organisations, the development of Memoranda of Understanding between selected peers, exchanges between staff, the establishment of a global platform as well as a regional platform in Africa, and the implementation of the partnerships. From July 2027 onwards, the project implementation will be monitored, paying attention to emerging successes and the promotion of training, models for implementation. In addition, it is expected that policy recommendations will be made, and the best practices will be documented and disseminated.
Building on existing practices
The idea for a global programme on peer-to-peer support for lake and basin organisations is rooted in previous experiences with the European region: as mentioned above, over the past two decades, countries in the European Union have worked together in the context of the Water Framework Directive, which acts as a framework for the protection of all water bodies in the EU. Since 2016, the European Union enhanced support for its neighbouring countries in Eastern Europe, amongst others as part of the European Union Water Initiative Plus. Due to this and through follow up regional support, water management practices have been modernised in line with EU legislation. Thus, work was carried out on river basin management planning, including the identification of investment needs, water economics, public participation, the environment and health agenda, and water monitoring, promoting cross-sectoral cooperation and transboundary cooperation. To develop evidence-based policies, support was provided to national governments to improve water data collection and analysis and environmental statistics. Also, transboundary water cooperation has improved. The programme drew on the experiences of EU Member States and key international institutions. It was implemented by the Environment Agency of Austria, the International Office for Water (OiEau) in France, the UNECE Secretariat, and the OECD.
Example: Support for River Basin Planning in Ukraine
Ukraine benefitted from EU experience and support for the development of nine River Basin Management Plans (RBMP’s). The country undertook this planning process in order to improve the alignment of its water resources management with the Water Framework Directive, as well as with international standards. Key issues covered in the plans included the management of wastewater from cities and industries, water abstraction for agriculture, the health of aquatic ecosystems, and water ecosystem health. By late 2024, the government of Ukraine approved these RBMPs, covering the Danube, Dniester, Dnipro, Don, Southern Bug, Black Sea, Azov Sea, Vistula, and Crimean River basins.
Example: Quantitative Water Management in Kasakh River Basin, Armenia
Between 2016 and 2021, the EU provided a combination of policy reform and capacity development at national and basin scale to improve water management in Armenia. This included support for the development of a quantitative water resources management plan for the Kasakh sub-basin. In the context of the programme, support was provided by OiEau for the improvement of water monitoring data, enabling the generation of data on the water balance, environmental flows, water use and deficit in the sub basin. This helped Armenia to address water scarcity and increase the resilience of its water ecosystems and the economy.
The Dakar Action Plan
Peer to peer leaning on river basin management is based on the principles in the Dakar Action Plan for River, Lake and Aquifer Basins, which was launched at the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal in 2022. The Dakar Action Plan provides a global policy framework for the development of basin organisations, and it is rooted in a number of principles: firstly, it identifies BO’s as peacemakers and as accelerators for sustainable development: they act as places for dialogue, between countries on a transboundary scale and between users and water stakeholders on a sub-national scale. The accelerated implementation of SDG 6.5 is dependent on the fostering of cooperation at both of these scales, placing the basin at the heart of the achievement of water related SDGs.
Secondly, the Dakar Action Plan confirms that basin management is a proven tool for benefit sharing as well as the sustainable management of surface and groundwater resources. Aquifers, lakes and river basins are the appropriate level at which surface and groundwater can be managed together and at which adaptation to climate change can be planned.
Thirdly, cooperation at the transboundary level facilitates the development of a shared vision for the use of water resources. It brings together human resources, technical capacity, and existing water related infrastructure within a common vision and strategy for cooperation and benefit sharing.
Fourth, the United Nations Water Conventions (1992 and 1997) provide a legal framework which supports the design, development and implementation of basin agreements. They offer a coherent package of norms, based on customary international law, that provide countries with a legally binding framework to conduct activities in a predictable and transparent manner.
Fifth, the Dakar Action Plan recognises basin organisations at national and local levels as multi-stakeholder platforms which enable participatory diagnostics and joint planning.
The Dakar Action Plan confirms the role and effectiveness of basin organisations in the service of water security: it values the positive impact and concrete results produced by basin organisations in the areas of economic and social development as well as environmental conservation. It demonstrates the importance of institutional frameworks, especially at the transboundary level, where new legal agreements can be supported, providing an enabling environment for financing mechanisms at the basin level.
Next Steps
The INBO secretariat will be in charge of organising the peer-to-peer exchanges based on targeted support provided to its regional networks, especially the African Network of Basin Organisation (ANBO), as its affiliated entity. In the coming months INBO will be working to identify the basin organisations and other relevant stakeholders which have an interest in engaging in the peer-to-peer learning mechanism. It is expected that work will be carried out on a manual for peer exchange mechanisms, and that the process of organising exchanges between basin organisations and the preparation of tailored partnership agreements can commence.