SHUKALB Organizes Kick-off Meeting of the Project “Development of a Project Document for the implementation of Nature-Based Solutions for Wastewater Treatment in two Rural Areas in the Drin River Basin”

SHUKALB, in collaboration the Italian Company IRIDRA and BOKU University of Natural Sciences in Vienna, Austria, organized on April 21^st, at Hotel Rogner in Tirana, a kick-off meeting for the project “Development of a Project Document for the implementation of Nature-Based Solutions for Wastewater Treatment in two Rural Areas in the Drin River Basin”.

The project is implemented in the framework of the “Promoting the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in South-eastern Europe, through the use of the Nexus approach” Project, by the Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean (GWP-Med) in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).

The meeting was attended by representatives from the National Agency for Water Supply, Sewerage and Waste Infrastructure, Albania (AKUM), the Water Resources Management Agency, Albania (AMBU), the National Environment Agency of Albania (KTA), the Water Regulatory Authority of Albania (WRA), the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Tirana (FIN), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Albania, Municipality of Belsh, Kukes Water Supply and Sewerage Company, Austrian Development Agency (ADA), Albania; German Development Cooperation (GIZ), Global Water Partnership (GWP-MED); Water Services Regulatory Authority, Kosova, University of Prishtina and the Water and Wastewater Works Association of Kosova (SHUKOS).

During the meeting the participants were introduced to a general overview of the project, findings from the Inception Report and the identification of the site for Nature Based Solutions (NBS) Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Albania and in Kosova, as well as Nature-based Solution for wastewater treatment and reuse. Besides the presentations, the participants were actively engaged in discussing the opportunities and challenges of water energy nexus aspects, in the context of wastewater treatment.

A similar meeting was then held then in Prishtina, on 5 May 2022, for the stakeholders of the water sector in Kosovo.  After the closure of the meeting in Kosova, representatives from SHUKALB, Iridra srl and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, BOKU, Vienna, paid a visit to a NBS WWTP of the Regional Water Company “Hidrodrini”, Peja, organized by Professor Lavdim Osmanaj from the University of Prishtina.

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