The Interministerial Steering Committee of the National Policy Dialogue on Integrated Water Resources Management in Ukraine met on 19 June, in Kyiv and online.
This meeting marks a crucial moment for Ukraine, as it continues to align its water management strategies with European and international standards, while addressing the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression on the water and water supply and sanitation sectors.
The meeting, chaired by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine and organized with support of the “EU4Environment - Water Resources and Environmental Data” programme, discussed the progress made in implementing the EU water acquis, the performance of the National Water Strategy for the period until 2050, and the finalization of the required nine river basin management plans for Ukraine.
Other topics for discussion were the human capital in the water sector and the strengthening of connections between universities and the water sector, which is essential to ensure that future generations are competent to meet the challenges ahead.
The National Policy Dialogue meeting was followed by a workshop on 20 June focused on financing water security. The discussions were further enriched by preliminary findings from OECD studies, which shed light on Ukraine’s enabling environment for water finance and strategies for mobilising domestic financial resources for the water sector.
""Ukraine has done a lot of work to implement the requirements of EU water management legislation. We have already made significant progress in implementing the Water Framework Directive and have developed the first draft management plans for 9 river basins. These should be finalised this year, and next year we will start implementing measures to achieve 'good' water status and to rehabilitate damaged water infrastructure", said Mr Oleksandr Krasnolutskyi, First Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Nature Resources of Ukraine.
Mr Jocelin Cornet, Head of Operations Section “Reconstruction, Energy, Infrastructure and Environment”, EU Delegation to Ukraine, said: "Building back better means bringing Ukraine's recovery up to EU standards. Ukraine has already made significant progress in updating its water laws, but becoming an EU candidate has raised the bar even higher. The ongoing Russian attacks only exacerbate the financial strain on the water sector, making implementation a tough challenge. Water is not just an economic asset—it is a basic human right and essential for healthy ecosystems. The EU stands firmly by Ukraine, supporting its reforms and reconstruction every step of the way.”
Speaking on behalf of the EU4Environment - Water Resources and Environmental Data Programme’s implementing partners, Mr Alexander Zinke, Environment Agency Austria, said that “In spite of the Russian war of aggression with its major impacts on people, infrastructure and the wider environment, Ukraine has been able to step-by-step improve its competences in modern environment management. The EU Member States and other EU4Environment partners value the Government’s and expert commitment to upgrade river basin planning, monitoring and sustainable water use, as well as collecting and publishing further data on land use, waste, and air pollution. We stand ready to continue this cooperation and help Ukraine in its advancements as EU candidate country.”
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