TRANSBOUNDARY COPERATION IN THE SAVA RIVER BASIN IN THE FIELD OF WATER MANAGEMENT

The paper describes transboundary cooperation in the Sava River Basin in the field of water management. It presents the Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin (Framework Agreement) as the basic document defining the goals, principles and mechanisms of transboundary cooperation in the basin and the International Commission for the Sava River Basin (Sava Commission) as the competent body for the Framework Agreement implementation. The key activities of the implementation of the Framework Agreement are described: development of joint/integrated plans, such as the River Basin Management Plan and the Flood Risk Management Plan; development of integrated systems (geographic information system - GIS, river information systems, hydrometeorological information system and flood forecasting and warning system); harmonization of legislation and development of protocols to the Framework Agreement; cooperation among international institutions; inclusion of stakeholders into the Framework Agreement implementation process and public participation. Particularly emphasized are some results of the cooperation in water management - the first Analysis of the Sava River Basin (2009) as the first step in the development of the Sava River Basin Management Plan and the Flood Protection Protocol to the Framework Agreement (2010).