EDEN centre celebrated the DRIN Day on 5th of May 2017 at Këneta Area, Kukës (Albania), aimed to promote joint management of the shared water resources of the extended transboundary Drin River Basin, including coordination mechanisms among the various sub-basin commissions and committees (Lakes Prespa, Ohrid and Skadar/Shkoder-Buna/Bojana).

The event was supported by GEF Drin Project/GWP-Med. This event was organised in the frame of the project entitled: "Enabling transboundary cooperation and integrated water resources management in the extended Drin River Basin". The Project is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and executed by the Global Water Partnership (GWP) through GWP-Mediterranean (GWP-Med) in cooperation with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). 

The event was focused on an introduction on the Drin Day action by the representative of the Protected Areas in Kukes Municipality, followed by an environmental theater prepared by students. The play was focused on environmental issues that are present in general rivers in Albania and mainly the Drin River. Art working and recycling objects were prepared by students; for example, cotton bags to start reducing plastic bags. The cotton bags have been painted by students. A guided tour in the nature and interactive games were led through a segment of Këneta area, assisted by the representative of Kukes Municipality. The students gained knowledge on livelihoods, facts on natural values of the river, flora, fauna and other issues that affect community that lives around the Drin river basin. 

Wide-ranging celebrations, dedicated to the Drin Basin were held in all Drin riparian countries, in cooperation with partner NGOs in numerous locations. The activities are implemented under the auspices of the Drin Coordinated Action, the process established for the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding for the Management of the Drin Basin (Drin MoU; signed in Tirana, 25 November 2011), to enhance transboundary cooperation aimed at the protection and sustainable management of the Drin Basin’s shared water resources. There is an interconnection between Prespa, Ohrid and Skadar/Shkoder Lakes, and the Drin and Buna/Bojana Rivers, while the environmental challenges faced throughout the Basin are of clearly transboundary nature. Therefore, there is a strong interdependence between all local and regional stakeholders involved, which makes cross-sectoral understanding among actors with very different backgrounds, crucial.

EDEN centre team