Annual Conference “Water and Environment” was held on November, 10 in Kyiv, under support of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine and in cooperation with State Water Resources Agency and Global Water Partnership. The conference took place in frames of ХІІІ International Water Forum “AQUA UKRAINE – 2015”. GWP-Ukraine provided financial support of the Conference.

Conference venue did not have enough place for everyone who has registered, — more than 100 people. Among the participants were representatives of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, State Water Resources Agency and River Basin Departments and Regional Water Management Authorities, State SES, organizations-members of GWP-Ukraine, scientific and research institutions, NGOs.

Mr. Alexander Bon, in his welcoming speech on behalf of Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, outlined the framework of water policy and has identified the importance of Euro-integration process and legal framework harmonization and implementation of the requirements and plans of Ukraine in accordance with the commitments of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. Welcoming the Assembly on behalf of the State Water Resources Agency, Ms. Olga Lysyuk noted the need for capacity development for integrated water resources management (IWRM) of all those involved in the development of water management of Ukraine to get understanding and gain practical knowledge on IWRM and modern management tools. She noted that due to GWP –Ukraine, basic knowledge on IWRM have been introduced in Ukraine: translated into Ukrainian and made available to the interested public and professionals.

Anna Tsvietkova, GWP Ukraine and UNENGO “MAMA-86”-member of GWP from 2005, greeted participants on behalf of GWP-Ukraine.

The Conference had an intense program (лінк на документ Програма конференції) and interactive discussions on new global benchmarks of human development, and the realities of Ukrainian water policy development, implementation of integrated management, adaptation to climate change, in particular the characteristics of drought in 2015, experience of different stakeholders (river basin management, scientific and research organizations, NGOs, business) on water resources management, the implementation of the basin management approach, wastewater management and issues of big water reservoirs. Among the issues that aroused particular attention, comments and recommendations of Conference participants were:

• Do Ukraine need Water Strategy?
• What are the consequents of ongoing administrative reforms ( related to State SES), deregulations and minimization of surveillance system, introduction in law the definition of “drinking water” as a food product suitable for human consumption?
• What are the actual problems of access to water and sanitation in Ukraine?
• How Ukraine will adapt at national level the Sustainable Development Goal and targets, indicators on water?

The initiative group of the participants are preparing a draft of recommendations that were collected during the Conference and will work on final resolution of the Conference – Recommendations.

More on thematic presentations of participants of the conference can be found:

1. The sustainable development goals (SDG) in the water sector for the period till 2030. – А. Tsvietkova, GWP –Ukraine – UNENGO «МАМА-86»
2. Responding to access to water and sanitation in Ukraine and modern approaches to safety of drinking water "on tap" — І. Rudenko, the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service of Ukraine
3. Self-assessment of ensuring equal access to safe water and sanitation: experience at the local level. Kirovograd — L. Shestakova –MAMA-86-Kirovograd
4. Water purification of drinking water for schools in the city of Kharkov, V. Tkachev, Ph. D., O.M.Beketov National University of Urban Economic, A. Kononenko, PhD., Kharkiv SE NGO “MAMA-86-Kharkiv”
5. Responding to Water Strategy of Ukraine: experience and pperspectives of development. — М. Romashenko, Dr. of science, Prof., Institute of water problems and land reclamation
6. Water Resources Management in the basin of river Siverskyi Donets: achievements and challenges — V. Antonenko, Siversko-Donetske BUWR
7. The relevance of the issues of drought management for Ukraine and application of meanness on drought monitoring of Integrated Drought Management Programme of GWP CEE – WMO — T. Adamenko, PhD, UkrHydroMetCentre
8. Vulnerability assessment of forests in Eastern Ukraine to the impacts of droughts under different climate change scenarios and the development of adaptation measures for integrated water resources management in river basins — І. Buksha, PhD, Ukrainian ESI of forestry and agroforestry named after G.M. Visotskogo, c. Kharkiv
9. The interaction between reservoirs and environment: general regularities and applied aspects. — V. Starodubtsev, Dr. of science, National University of bioresourses and environment using of Ukraine
10. Experience of implementation of integrated approaches in water management at the confluence of the rivers Tisa and Tur — Eduard Osiyskiy, department of water resources of WRBM r. Tisa
11. Wastewater Treatment facilities based on the natural self-cleaning processes: experience and pperspectives in Ukraine — М. Zakharchenko, RI «Ukrainian research institute of ecological problems, c. Kharkiv
12. The impact of untreated wastewaters on the state of rivers in the Upper Prut basin and possible solutions to problems — M. Korchemlyuk, “MAMA-86-Yaremche” and Carpathian National Nature Park
13. «Green building» of villages and enterprises with renewable energy and nutrients resources based on recycling of wastewater and sludge for clean environment — Kotsar O.M., PhD, Antikova Y. V., Pavlishin, G.A., ltd “Unilos-Ukraine”, Mandelshtam O. S., ltd “AgroBioGas”

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