INTERNATIONAL WATERS
EXPERIENCE NOTES
2
http://www.iwlearn.net/experience
2006-011
International Development of NGOs:
Danube Environmental Forum (DEF)
Abstract: The Danube Environmental Forum (DEF) is a network of non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) which is dedicated to protecting the Danube River and its tributaries, their biodiversity and
national resources by enhancing cooperation among governments and stakeholders. Targeting pollution
reduction and transboundary cooperation in the same basin, the UNDP-GEF Danube Regional Project
(DRP) has worked to build and strengthen the DEF regional NGO network and to establish a Regional
Secretariat to coordinate its widespread, multi-country activities and projects. DEF now has a strong
Secretariat, 174 member organizations and national focal points from 13 Danube countries. Activities
such as an annual basin-wide Danube Day as well as their participation in the International Commission
for the Protection of the Danube River Basin (ICPDR) are among its successes. DEF challenges included
selecting a small set of common issues to focus network efforts and developing financial sustainability.
DRP seed funding to support such efforts and institution-building was critical for the DEF and its members
to reach new heights in positive regional impact. Through a similar process, other projects and NGO
networks can take advantage of regional economies of scale and networking to support public
involvement across their transboundary water basins.
Kari Aina Eik
Kari.aina.eik@unvienna.org
Danube Regional Project
Dann Sklarew, editor
GEF IW:LEARN
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International Development of NGOs:
Danube Environmental Forum (DEF)
Experience of the GEF - sponsored
GEF/UNDP: Strengthening the Implementation for Nutrient Reduction and
Transboundary Cooperation in the Danube River Basin (DRP)
GEFID: 1460/2042, (RER03/G31/A/1G/31 00036337)
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
programme for non-governmental organizations
(NGOs).
On December 1 2001, the US$17,2 Million
Danube Regional Project (DRP) was launched
THE EXPERIENCE
as the next 5-year phase of UNDP-GEF's long-
term commitment to achieving environmental
(a) Transboundary Water Management (TWM)
health in the Danube River Basin. The main
Issue:
DRP goal was to strengthen existing basin
management structures and activities, building
The cooperation of civil society, and in particular
on lessons learned, and facilitating a regional
of national and local NGOs, is essential for
approach.
achieving the objectives and goals (for pollution
reduction and trans-boundary cooperation) of
The project's objectives were:
the GEF/UNDP Danube Regional Project (DRP)
and those of the International Convention for
S To assist with the establishment of
Protection of the Danube River Basin (ICPDR).
institutional and legal instruments at the
Public participation and the involvement of
national and regional level to assure nutrient
NGOs are core principles in sustainable water
reduction and sustainable management of
management.
water bodies and ecological resources, and
S To assist the 13 countries in implementing
With this in mind, a significant proportion of the
their agreed strategic action programme,
entire DRP is devoted to public participation and
focusing on nutrient pollution reduction.
stakeholder communications through a range of
(The Danube Strategic Action Programme
targeted activities and projects. These include:
(SAP) was adopted in a previous GEF-
the Small Grants Programme (SGP);*
supported project.)
communications, campaigning and awareness-
raising projects; a project devoted to improving
A key focus was on building the capacity of the
public participation in environmental decision-
International Commission for the Protection of
making and access to environmental
the Danube River (ICPDR) and Danube
information; and activities specially designed to
countries to fulfill their legally binding
support the NGO community.
commitment to implement the Danube
Convention. Such efforts include the
* See "Small Grants Programme (SGP) in the
development of a River Basin Management Plan
UNDP/GEF Danube River Basin Project (DRP),"
in line with the EU's Water Framework Directive.
another in the IW Experience Notes series.
The DRP is an umbrella for some 80 activities to
Opportunities exist for NGOs to participate in
strengthen agricultural policy, provide river basin
and influence the development of environmental
management tools, protect wetlands and
plans and programmes that are effective and
improve water services.
have the consent and trust of affected
stakeholders, especially at the local level. NGOs
The project is also significant because of its
are often important stakeholders in addressing
many links to the local level, including activities
controversial issues.
related to public participation, access to
information, communications, local pilot
One DRP challenge was to provide guidance
demonstration activities and a large grants
and information to governments on how they
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should comply with their environmental public
participation obligations at all levels
Another key challenge is to ensure DEF remains
(international, regional, national and local). How
financially sustainable after the DRP ends. The
should they
inform and involve other
project has contributed by funding regional
stakeholders in appropriate public participation
meetings and travel for DEF members to
activities and structures at different levels (i.e.
participate in DRP deliberations and at
increase transparency)? An opportunity exists
Commission meetings as well as for other
here for NGOs to facilitate this exchange as a
specific activities of the network. Fundraising
"voice of civil society."
strategies and other mechanisms for sustaining
the network have also been developed.
(b) How was the issue addressed
RESULTS AND LEARNING
Particular attention has been given to
establishing and strengthening the capacities of
DEF now has 174 member organizations from
the Danube Environmental Forum (DEF), the
13 Danube countries. DEF National Focal Points
umbrella organization of NGOs in the Danube
operate in each of the DEF countries and
River Basin. The DEF's mission is to protect the
constitute the DEF Board. The Board meets
Danube River with its tributaries, their
regularly to discuss common issues and
biodiversity and resources by enhancing
activities to be undertaken in the Danube Basin.
cooperation among governments, NGOs, local
The DEF has become an important stakeholder
people and stakeholders towards the
and to the ICPDR and participate and give
sustainable use of natural ecosystems. The DEF
valuable input to the ICPDR expert meetings.
receives support from the DRP in order to raise
Activities at national and regional levels are
the capacities of the network and its members to
being implemented. Examples include:
inform and work to resolve Danube water
production and dissemination of information
pollution issues.
materials; national and regional meetings and
training; development of local and regional scale
GEF/UNDP has supported Danube NGO
projects; and communication activities such as
structures and specifically the DEF for the last
public service campaigns.
10 years. The DRP (2001-2006) provided
extensive support to build and strengthen the
Effective tools for communication were deemed
DEF regional NGO network and to establish a
essential for DEF work so a communication
Regional Secretariat to coordinate its
strategy was developed with reference to
widespread, multi-country activities and projects.
branding, challenges, language barriers, target
audiences and key messages. DEF improved
DEF strengthening was linked with other DRP
communications and information exchange
public participation and communications
internally and externally. This improved the
activities. Many DEF NGOs received DRP
public participation and cooperation of NGOs in
grants and were able to participate in pilot
governmental forums, programmes and
projects for improving access to governmental
initiatives. Transparency in planning processes
information at the local level in five countries in
and access to governmental information
southeast Europe.
increased, as were communications between
local and national NGOs, industry, media and
While a strong DEF Secretariat led management
local residents.
of the network, it was important that national
member organizations took responsibility for
One DRP-related project provided support to
activities not only at the national and local level
International Danube Day, coordinated by the
but also for the network as a whole.
ICPDR and celebrated at the regional and
national level in all Danube countries. In 2005,
It was important for DEF to have a clear strategy
400 organizations implemented 300 related
and mission to identify its realistic role as a
events in the Danube region many of them by
stakeholder at the regional and national levels.
DEF NGOs, many focusing on awareness-
Since the Forum is a network of local NGOs with
raising activities. A lesson was the value for a
various priorities, it was challenging to select a
new network to cooperate on one common
few key common issues and focus on these in
event to strengthen an internal feeling of unity.
communications and activities.
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A DEF expert data base was developed. This
led to the establishment of DEF Water Policy
Despite universal agreement that public
Teams (with working groups for DEF key
participation is of key importance in water
priorities including wetlands, public participation
management, few international river basins are
and hydromorphology). This further enhanced
far in implementing public participation
their influence in external forums, expert groups
strategies. The DRP has been using the DEF
of the ICPDR and in discussions with other
forum to support Danube participation over 5
institutions at the regional and national level.
years, thus providing Danube countries with an
excellent opportunity, but also giving them a
Addressing sustainability was a very important
major challenge to sustain active NGO
lesson in the DEF history. DEF had no
involvement in the future. It is an important
institutional support between the first two GEF
experience for the GEF,
that SAP
projects and was not fully functional prior to
implementation projects need to engage local
2001. Over the last five years, through the
community groups and NGOs as part of the
support of the current DRP, the overall goal of
implementation of on-the-ground measures.
sustainability was a key target. This included
Such an NGO Forum is critical to taking
capacity building in project preparation and
advantage of regional economies of scale and
management. Funding to maintain the regional
networking to support public involvement across
Secretariat has been a challenge, but DEF
transboundary water basins.
successfully applied for and has since received
funding from the EU.
REFERENCES
REPLICATION
S www.de-forum.org Danube Environmental
Forum
The most important conditions for replication are
S www.icpdr.org International Commission
initial funding support to the network and its
for the Protection of the Danube River
members, as well as long-term strategies for
S www.undp-drp.org UNDP Danube
sustainability, so an NGO forum like DEF can
Regional Project (until mid-2007)
continue to interact with its respective basin
agency and national partners after the GEF
Kari Aina Eik
project ends.
Project Implementation Specialist
Tel: +43.1.26060.5616
In addition, there is a need for strategic capacity
Email: kari.aina.eik@unvienna.org
building support and guidance on stakeholder
involvement. One way to achieve this is to link
KEYWORDS
partner organizations and individuals that have
regional vision with those with experience in
S Danube Environmental Forum (DEF)
public participation at regional and national
S Danube Regional Project (DRP)
levels. Finally, specific activities promoted by the
S NGO Forum
GEF project such as Danube Day, small
S NGO Network
grants, experts databases and policy teams
S NGO Participation
can help NGOs to build the skills and team
confidence to continue their efforts well beyond
The Global Environment Facility (GEF)
the GEF investment.
International Waters Experience Notes series
helps the transboundary water management
SIGNIFICANCE
(TWM) community share its practical
experiences to promote better TWM.
Through this experience, DRP has been able to
Experiences include successful practices,
build and strengthen capacities of a large NGO
approaches, strategies, lessons, methodologies,
network of more than 174 NGOs in 13 countries.
etc., that emerge in the context of TWM.
These capacities have been used and will be
used in the future to raise and work to tackle
To obtain current IW Experience Notes or to
environmental challenges, public participation
contribute your own, please
visit
and access to information in the basin as well as
http://www.iwlearn.net/experience or email
to strengthen transboundary cooperation in the
info@iwlearn.net.
region.
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