In the BiH ESAP 2030+ project, 28 Working Groups (WG) are established. These groups make one of the main pillars of the project, with 404 members involved in seven thematic groups, per each jurisdiction level in BiH. The Working Groups will be drafting the ESAP Action Plan and provide their valuable contribution to the process.
A participatory approach
For this to work, the project team is occupied with finding ways to reach a common understanding of the goals of the project and the process itself. It is important that stakeholders in BiH feels ownership and responsibility for the project to succeed. Hence why participatory approaches are crucial, and the working groups are there to ensure engagement.
The invitees from various sectors (academia, public sector, business and CSO sector) were previously identified as potential members of the Working Groups, through the Stakeholder Analysis and Mapping.
All invitees received the general information about the project and the role of the Working Groups. They were able to nominate their representatives for seven Working Groups (Water; Waste; Biodiversity and Nature Conservation; Air quality, climate change and energy; Chemical safety and Noise; Resource management; Environmental management), established for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Federation of BiH, Republika Srpska and Brčko District BiH jurisdiction level (28 groups in total).
By the end of July 2020, the project received 292 nominations, out of which:
- 79 nominated members from academia
- 114 nominated members from the public sector
- 63 nominated members from the business sector
- 36 nominated members from the CSO sector.
In early March 2020, official nominations for 112 members from the relevant ministries and agencies (68 members) as well as representatives of the CSO sector, such as the EKO BiH Network, (44 members) have been received. Together with the collected nominations in July, this makes 404 members of the BiH ESAP 2030+ Working Groups in total.
Working Group Meetings
The first round of Working Group meetings (out of six planned) was held in September for the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Federation of BiH, and in early October Working Group meetings will be held for the level of Republika Srpska and Brčko District BiH.
Throughout the one-and-a-half-year process the WGs and their members in BiH ESAP 2030+ will summarize the current state of the environment and help develop and prioritize thematic goals, targets and specific measures and actions for each thematic area. In the process a lot of exchange of knowledge and information will take place, and will provide a communication platform where different opinions and positions on environmental issues will be challenged by academia, the private and non-governmental sector in BIH. Moreover, the general public in BIH will also have the opportunity to provide their opinion through the e-consultation process via project’s official website (esap.ba).
Before each meeting, the members will be provided with short briefs in order to enable active participation in meetings and forums, as well as review and comment on the ESAP draft documents for the given thematic group.
Watch this space, www.esap.ba, more news will follow once the first Working Group meetings have been carried out!
%20are%20established.%20These%20groups%20make%20one%20of%20the%20main%20pillars%20of%20the%20project,%20with%20404%20members%20involved%20in%20seven%20thematic%20groups,%20per%20each%20jurisdiction%20level%20in%20BiH.%20The%20Working%20Groups%20will%20be%20drafting%20the%20ESAP%20Action%20Plan%20and%20provide%20their%20valuable%20contribution%20to%20the%20process.strongA%20participatory%20approach%20/strongFor%20this%20to%20work,%20the%20project%20team%20is%20occupied%20with%20finding%20ways%20to%20reach%20a%20common%20understanding%20of%20the%20goals%20of%20the%20project%20and%20the%20process%20itself.%20It%20is%20important%20that%20stakeholders%20in%20BiH%20feels%20ownership%20and%20responsibility%20for%20the%20project%20to%20succeed.%20Hence%20why%20participatory%20approaches%20are%20crucial,%20and%20the%20working%20groups%20are%20there%20to%20ensure%20engagement.The%20invitees%20from%20various%20sectors%20(academia,%20public%20sector,%20business%20and%20CSO%20sector)%20were%20previously%20identified%20as%20potential%20members%20of%20the%20Working%20Groups,%20through%20the%20Stakeholder%20Analysis%20and%20Mapping.All%20invitees%20received%20the%20general%20information%20about%20the%20project%20and%20the%20role%20of%20the%20Working%20Groups.%20They%20were%20able%20to%20nominate%20their%20representatives%20for%20seven%20Working%20Groups%20(Water;%20Waste;%20Biodiversity%20and%20Nature%20Conservation;%20Air%20quality,%20climate%20change%20and%20energy;%20Chemical%20safety%20and%20Noise;%20Resource%20management;%20Environmental%20management),%20established%20for%20Bosnia%20and%20Herzegovina,%20Federation%20of%20BiH,%20Republika%20Srpska%20and%20Brčko%20District%20BiH%20jurisdiction%20level%20(28%20groups%20in%20total).By%20the%20end%20of%20July%202020,%20the%20project%20received%20292%20nominations,%20out%20of%20which:ul%20li79%20nominated%20members%20from%20academia/li%20li114%20nominated%20members%20from%20the%20public%20sector/li%20li63%20nominated%20members%20from%20the%20business%20sector/li%20li36%20nominated%20members%20from%20the%20CSO%20sector./li/ulIn%20early%20March%202020,%20official%20nominations%20for%20112%20members%20from%20the%20relevant%20ministries%20and%20agencies%20(68%20members)%20as%20well%20as%20representatives%20of%20the%20CSO%20sector,%20such%20as%20the%20EKO%20BiH%20Network,%20(44%20members)%20have%20been%20received.%20Together%20with%20the%20collected%20nominations%20in%20July,%20this%20makes%20404%20members%20of%20the%20BiH%20ESAP%202030+%20Working%20Groups%20in%20total.strongWorking%20Group%20Meetings/strong%5Bcaption%20id=attachment_3296%20align=alignnone%20width=1024%5Dimg%20class=wp-image-3296%20size-large%20src=https://esap.ba/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/proba-1-1024x575.jpg%20alt=%20width=1024%20height=575%20/%20Online%20Working%20Group%20Meeting%5B/caption%5DThe%20first%20round%20of%20Working%20Group%20meetings%20(out%20of%20six%20planned)%20was%20held%20in%20September%20for%20the%20level%20of%20Bosnia%20and%20Herzegovina%20and%20the%20Federation%20of%20BiH,%20and%20in%20early%20October%20Working%20Group%20meetings%20will%20be%20held%20for%20the%20level%20of%20Republika%20Srpska%20and%20Brčko%20District%20BiH.Throughout%20the%20one-and-a-half-year%20process%20the%20WGs%20and%20their%20members%20in%20BiH%20ESAP%202030+%20will%20summarize%20the%20current%20state%20of%20the%20environment%20and%20help%20develop%20and%20prioritize%20thematic%20goals,%20targets%20and%20specific%20measures%20and%20actions%20for%20each%20thematic%20area.%20In%20the%20process%20a%20lot%20of%20exchange%20of%20knowledge%20and%20information%20will%20take%20place,%20and%20will%20provide%20a%20communication%20platform%20where%20different%20opinions%20and%20positions%20on%20environmental%20issues%20will%20be%20challenged%20by%20academia,%20the%20private%20and%20non-governmental%20sector%20in%20BIH.%20Moreover,%20the%20general%20public%20in%20BIH%20will%20also%20have%20the%20opportunity%20to%20provide%20their%20opinion%20through%20the%20e-consultation%20process%20via%20project’s%20official%20website%20(esap.ba).Before%20each%20meeting,%20the%20members%20will%20be%20provided%20with%20short%20briefs%20in%20order%20to%20enable%20active%20participation%20in%20meetings%20and%20forums,%20as%20well%20as%20review%20and%20comment%20on%20the%20ESAP%20draft%20documents%20for%20the%20given%20thematic%20group.Watch%20this%20space,%20www.esap.ba,%20more%20news%20will%20follow%20once%20the%20first%20Working%20Group%20meetings%20have%20been%20carried%20out!){kind=link}