Integrated Water Resources Management in Kosovo

The IWRM-K is aiming at building long-lasting water resource management capacities in line with Kosovo’s socio-economic and political priorities, as well as at contributing to the needs of future sustainable development. It further aims at helping to replace the current fragmented approach with a more comprehensive and highly participatory approach to managing water resources at the river basin scale, aligned with the principles of integrated water resource management (IWRM) and the European Union Water Framework Directive (EU-WFD).

By working with decision-makers, civil society and citizens on tackling key water challenges, this Program is helping replacement of an outdated, traditional, and fragmented approach with more comprehensive and dynamic ways of managing water resources at river basin scale, in line with the principles of the EU-WFD.

General Project Objectives

IWRM-K program has a wide range of objectives that will be achieved through various activities. All of them will lead to the development of a sustainable modern model of water governance – securing a water future for every child, woman, and man in Kosovo.

Specific Program Objectives related to education

As part of IWRM-K, several educational and skills development opportunities are foreseen, targeting current and future water professionals. The education, research, and skills development activities are co-created in close consultation with Kosovo’s education stakeholders (e.g., higher education institutions - academic staff, Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Kosovo Institute of Public Administration, MESPI, YWPs, Civil Society Organisations, etc.).

To respond to these requirements, the Program is set to apply a three-level approach in providing the necessary support:

• Improvement of the educational system and the study programs
• Development of training measures
• Support studies and research

To this end, among the most immediate needs, is the creation of interdisciplinary professional profiles that will be able to manage processes across multiple (water-related) disciplines (e.g., engineering, biology, chemistry, ecology, economics, law, social science).

Following this, the Program has supported establishment of a Master's Program in IWRM (MSc-IWRM) hosted by University of Prishtina ‘Hasan Prishtina’ in partnership with University ‘Haxhi Zeka’. The MSc-IWRM aims at bringing trans-disciplinary knowledge among the diverse target audience in terms of previous educational background and professional experience. By this, it will be instrumental in improving dialogue and bridging the gaps among different professions dealing with various aspects of water resource management and bring together different dimensions that are still considered unconventional to the water resource management practices and traditions in the region (e.g., social, gender, political, environmental). In such a way, future water professionals will be much better equipped with contemporary knowledge and skills to manage real-life water resource management challenges and uncertainties.

The key specific project goals will consist of:

• Supporting the Faculty of Civil Engineering at University of Pristina ‘Hasan Prishtina’ during the implementation of the Master Program on Integrated Water Resources Management
• Supporting the IWRM-K team in applying managing competitive grants scheme for research projects

Funding References

The IWRM-K is a Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Government of Kosovo Program, implemented by Skat Consulting Ltd. (Switzerland) in consortium with the Environment Agency Austria (EAA)