On 23 September 2026, the 1st Stakeholder Forum was held in Zagreb as part of the development of three basin-wide plans:

The Forum brought together stakeholders from the Sava River Basin, representing a broad range of sectors, including water management, flood risk management, navigation, hydropower, agriculture, industry, environmental protection, local authorities, academia and civil society.
Strengthening integrated planning
Once finalized, the three plans will provide a coordinated framework for the management of water resources, flood risks and sediment across the Sava River Basin. Together, they are intended to support the protection of water and ecosystems, sustainable economic development, climate resilience and the wellbeing of communities throughout the basin.
The Stakeholder Forum had two main objectives: to present the progress achieved so far and gather technical feedback from stakeholders, and to establish a strong basis for continued stakeholder involvement throughout the planning process.
The discussions demonstrated a strong willingness among stakeholders to address shared challenges through coordinated action. They also highlighted the wide range of basin-wide measures that can contribute to achieving the objectives of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), EU Floods Directive (FD) and the Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin (FASRB).
Among the issues discussed was the importance of strengthening cooperation and coordination across the basin, including through improved data harmonization, exchange of knowledge and expertise, and the development of common guidance and approaches.
Continued stakeholder involvement
The Stakeholder Forum marks an important step in the development of the three plans and provides a platform for continued dialogue between institutions, experts and stakeholders.
The ISRBC will continue to work with the Sava countries and stakeholders to further develop the plans and integrate relevant knowledge, expertise and perspectives into the planning process.
The implementation of this activity within the framework of the Sava and Drina Rivers Corridors Integrated Development Program (SDIP)-Phase I, part 4, is supported by the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).