The 8th meeting of the Platform for Dialogue of Stakeholders in the Water Services Sector in BiH was held

On October 15, 2024, in the Grand Hotel Neum, the 8th meeting of the Platform for Dialogue of Stakeholders in the Water Services Sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) was held. The aim of the meeting was to improve the cooperation and coordination of all actors in order to speed up the reform process of the water services sector in both entities, by providing a forum for the presentation and consolidation of activities in the reform of the sector, the identification of challenges and obstacles and the definition of ways to overcome them..

The focus of the meeting was on developing a road map that will define the necessary activities to accelerate the reform of the water services sector, along with the expected deadlines for implementation and determining the responsibilities of institutions and organizations.

Main conclusions of the meeting:

• Accelerate the process of adopting the law on water services in both entities in order to ensure the prerequisites for improving the legal framework and business environment for organizing, providing and developing water services;
• Organize meetings with key decision-makers in order to obtain their support for the adoption of key reform documents and implementation of the reform process;
• Prepare and conduct public debates on draft laws on water services in both entities in a way to ensure adequate involvement by competent ministries from all levels of government and other institutions/organizations as well as citizens and the public
• Organize customized campaigns to inform and raise awareness of different target groups (decision makers at all levels, citizens, the public);
• Continue implementation of the capacity building program for employees in the sector in order to achieve better operational and financial performance and long-term sustainability of the sector;
• In particular, strengthen the capacities related to the preparation of project proposals (applications) and their application to international financial institutions (IFIs) and development partners, including strengthening the capacity to supervise the implementation of the mentioned projects and manage these processes, all for the purpose of using available financial resources from various funds;
• Continue advocacy and lobbying for the most effective and sustainable reform/modernization of the water services sector at all levels;
• Continue the process of regular information and exchange of information, data and documents that arise in the process of implementing the reform of water services in FBIH and RS;
• Representatives of MFIs and donor organizations will continue to support the activities of the reform process based on the principle of business success or on the basis of achieving project results.

The meeting gathered 22 participants, and the organization and implementation was coordinated by the Association for Water and Environmental Protection "Aquasan Network inBiH." This event represents an important step towards further improvement of the water services sector in BiH and contributes to more efficient planning of future activities.