NALAS’ Working Group on Water Management, as part of the Task Force in Solid Waste and Water Management, convened in Belgrade, Serbia, on 10 and 11 March 2025, to review progress, discuss key challenges and improvements in the water supply and Sanitation sector, and set the course for future activities.

The meeting in Belgrade commenced with an overview of the Action Plan 2024-2025 and a “Tour-the-Table” session highlighting financial instability and capacity issues as key challenges in the water and sanitation services sector, alongside few improvements and new legislation in parts of South East Europe.

The focus of the meeting was the regional research report developed by NALAS on the collaboration between the local governments and the public utility companies in the Western Balkans region. The key findings were presented, revealing challenges such as fragmented governance and financial constraints, leading to policy recommendations and proposals for capacity development.

The Working Group agreed to convert the broad recommendations into specific initiatives, actions or projects that NALAS can pursue to foster improved collaboration, enhance financial sustainability, and ultimately strengthen the water and sanitation sector across the region. In the upcoming period the Working Group will define practical interventions that address the identified challenges in the research report.

During the second day, the Working Group received training for enhancing financial stability in provision of water and sanitation services, including sessions on: Governance and financing of the sector; Features of the sector and key challenges for financial sustainability; and Getting ready for bridging the funding gap.

This meeting and training were organized within the Regional Capacity Development Network for Water and Sanitation Services (RCDN).