The 18th meeting of the monitoring and assessment working group within the framework of the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes of the UNECE was held.
Lilit Abrahamyan, head of the Water Policy Department of the Ministry of Environment, and Gayane Shahnazaryan, deputy director of "Armhydromet" SNCO, participated in the global workshop on "National and Transboundary Aspects of Interrelated Management of Surface and Groundwater" held in Geneva, Switzerland, "Water Resources Monitoring and Assessment Working Group" at the eighteenth meeting and "Transboundary water cooperation in Eastern Partnership countries. achievements and progress" at the regional seminar.
Lilit Abrahamyan, head of the Ministry's Water Policy Department, made a speech in which he thanked the EU for its constant support and continuous cooperation on behalf of the Ministry of Environment, presented "EU Water Initiative +" and "EU for the Environment about the implementation of cross-border monitoring cooperation and other processes within the framework of "water resources and environmental data" programs, in particular, the works related to joint Armenian-Georgian monitoring carried out since 2009 with EU funding in the Debed-Khram river basin. It also presented the progress of monitoring results presented in the 2023 report since the previous report on SDG indicator 6.5.2, issues raised and lessons learned.
The main topics discussed during the sessions are:
- joint management of surface and underground waters. expected benefits and problems in its implementation,
- success stories and lessons learned in implementing common management practices;
- support for monitoring, assessment and information exchange in transboundary basins based on global experience,
- promoting an integrated and intersectoral approach to water management at all levels,
- adapting to climate change in transboundary basins; overcoming the challenges caused by climate change;
- Presentation of progress and lessons learned since the last SDG 6.5.2 report in the EaP
 countries, using its results to develop cross-border cooperation,
- Future prospects and needs of cross-border cooperation in the region, etc.