22 November 2012: The fifth Update on the European Union Water Initiative (EUWI) National Policy Dialogues (NPDs) implemented in the countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) reports on events, meetings, statistics and publications.

The Update features articles on: an NPD country profile for Azerbaijan; a pilot project on financing basin organizations in Ukraine; and a project on the use of economic instruments for lake Baikal basin to be launched in the Russian Federation.

The NPD profile for Azerbaijan describes cooperation under the NPD and focal areas of work, including: improvement of institutional structures; support for transboundary water cooperation; promotion of water saving and cost-recovery; development of multi-purpose integrated use of artificial water bodies and irrigation infrastructure; development of water monitoring and information systems; the monitoring of drinking water quality; and climate change and flood risk management.

The Update also reports on EUWI activities carried out between July and November 2012, including a study on strengthening the economic and financial dimensions of river basin organizations in Ukraine that will explore ways to finance river basin councils based on a review of international financing experiences.

The Newsletter further provides: updates on NPD activities in Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan; key water statistics for EECCA countries; publications; and upcoming meetings.

The EECCA component of the EUWI was launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg in 2002 to support the implementation of water-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). [Publication: EUWI-EECCA Newsletter 5]