Dinaric Aquifer Countries Push Shared Water Plans Toward Action

DIKTAS II focuses on the Dinaric Karst Aquifer System, a transboundary groundwater resource that crosses national borders and supports communities and ecosystems across the region.

Countries sharing one of southeastern Europe's important underground water systems are preparing to turn years of technical work into practical measures for protecting the resource. Government representatives, groundwater specialists and international partners met in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 8–10 July 2026 to review progress under the DIKTAS II project and establish priorities for the next phase of cooperation.

The gathering brought together representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro alongside UNESCO and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The fourth DIKTAS II experts meeting and third Steering Committee meeting came at the project's midpoint, giving participants three days to examine what has been achieved and identify the work needed through 2028.

Groundwater Protection Needs More Than Scientific Data

DIKTAS II focuses on the Dinaric Karst Aquifer System, a transboundary groundwater resource that crosses national borders and supports communities and ecosystems across the region. Its complex geography makes cooperation between countries particularly important because decisions affecting groundwater in one area can have consequences elsewhere in the shared system.

Experts reviewed groundwater monitoring, biodiversity conditions, water governance, legal cooperation, stakeholder participation and gender-related issues. Their assessments revealed several governance challenges shared by participating countries, while work on proposed groundwater monitoring networks has become increasingly detailed.

Draft legal agreements are also developing with input from national consultative bodies, creating a foundation for stronger cooperation between authorities responsible for the aquifer. UNESCO contributes scientific and technical expertise in groundwater and hydrology through its Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme, while UNDP provides oversight related to Global Environment Facility implementation, regional policy support and quality assurance.

Countries Prepare to Turn Planning Into Practical Action

Attention is now shifting from technical assessment toward implementation. Participants formally requested that DIKTAS II be extended until 2028, giving partners more time to complete key activities and strengthen arrangements that could continue after the project itself ends.

Priorities include improving monitoring of the karst system, completing bilateral and multilateral agreements between participating countries, expanding training opportunities and finalising Joint Action Programmes. These measures are intended to give governments stronger scientific information, clearer cooperative frameworks and practical tools for making decisions about a groundwater resource that cannot be managed effectively within national boundaries alone.

Stamatios Christopoulos, UNDP Regional Technical Adviser for Water and Oceans, described the meetings as a chance to move from reviewing progress toward accelerating delivery, with countries agreeing on what needs to be completed next.

Participants also placed strong emphasis on the project's legacy. Monitoring systems, technical knowledge and agreements will have greater value if countries continue supporting them after DIKTAS II formally concludes, making sustained national commitment an essential part of protecting the aquifer for communities that depend on it.

Clear Communication Can Strengthen Cooperation Across Borders

Language and communication emerged as another practical challenge. The Dinaric Karst Aquifer System stretches across countries with different administrative structures and languages, meaning scientific findings cannot remain accessible only to groundwater specialists. Policymakers and national authorities need clear information they can understand and use when developing regulations, agreements and water-management decisions. A dedicated communication taskforce is supporting coordination between technical experts, national authorities and project partners, helping research findings and complex groundwater information reach audiences beyond the specialist community.

Sinisa Sesum, Head of the UNESCO Antenna in Sarajevo, stressed that maintaining agreements with relevant authorities will be crucial if the project's achievements are to survive beyond its formal lifetime.

The Sarajevo meetings reinforced a central lesson from DIKTAS II: protecting shared groundwater depends on science, but scientific knowledge alone cannot secure its future. Lasting protection of the Dinaric Karst Aquifer System will require countries to keep monitoring the resource, share knowledge across borders, maintain workable agreements and continue treating groundwater as a common resource whose health affects communities throughout the region.