Balwois
Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Building Network
Water, Climate and Environment
Balwois is a Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Building Network focused on water, climate and environment related issues in Balkan and worldwide.
Balwois was initially an EC-INCO project called ‘Balkan Water Observation and Information System for Decision Support’ (WOISYDES, BALWOIS, 2002-2006).
Balwois is designed for experts / students / technicians / policymakers devoted to analyse/assess the effects of pollution, climate change and human activities on the natural environment and to identify/apply the good practices to mitigate their negative impacts on waterbodies (rivers, lakes, wetlands, groundwater tables).
Balwois located in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, is managed by the ‘Balwois-Consulting’, and by the ‘Macedonian Meteorological Association’ – METEO-Mak – with the support of the University St Cyril and Methodius of Skopje.
Balwois is based on five main activities :
- The Networking of a community of over 1500 experts from 75 countries, through the Forum and Members sections,
- A Proceedings collection of 1,850 scientific and technical papers in free access provided by the authors of the five previous conferences (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012),
- A Knowledge database composed by documents, information, links, etc. related to the Balwois domains of activity,
- A Geographical Information System to be implemented at the scale of Balkan,
- The organization of International Scientific Balwois meetings and conferences, giving the opportunity to the participants to let know the main results of theirs works and to initiate new collaborations with teams coming from ever the world.
The Balwois activities were mainly supported by the Institut of Research for Development – France (2002-2013), the French Ministry of Environment (2006-2010) and by the “Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (2014-2015).
A Facebook group as been created on www.facebook.com/groups/balwois and a Facebook page is open on www.facebook.com/balwois .
Skopje, 20/01/2017
Marc Morell
Balwois Coordinator
Sponsors
Some of the people and companies helping Balwois
Main Sponsor
CNR – Compagnie Nationale du Rhône
Créée en 1933, la Compagnie Nationale du Rhône a reçu de l’Etat en 1934 la concession du plus puissant fleuve français pour l’aménager et l’exploiter selon trois missions solidaires : production, navigation, irrigation et autres usages agricoles. Concepteur et exploitant des centrales hydroélectriques, barrages et écluses du Rhône, la CNR a également réalisé sur le fleuve des sites industriels et portuaires, des ports de plaisance, des haltes nautiques et des zones de loisirs.
Huge Help
IRD – Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
The IRD (Institut de recherche pour le développement) is a French research organisation, original and unique on the European development research scene. Emphasizing interdisciplinarity, the IRD has focused its research for over 65 years on the relationship between man and its environment, in Africa, Mediterranean, Latin America, Asia and the French tropical overseas territories. Its research, training and innovation activities are intended to contribute to the social, economic and cultural development of southern countries…/…
MEDDE – Ministère de l’Ecologie, du Développement Durable et de l’Energie (FR)
Au niveau central, le ministère est composé d’un secrétariat général, d’un commissariat général au développement durable, de 5 directions générales et d’une direction.
MOEPP – Ministère de l’Ecologie et de l’Aménagement du Territoire (MK)
At present, the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (Law on Organization and Work of the Public Administration, “Official Gazette of RM” No. 58/2000) is organized in four Departments, as follows: Department of Legislation and Standardization, Department of Sustainable Development, Department of European Integration and Environmental Information Centre, two Divisions for projects implementation – Division for Implementation of the Lake Ohrid Conservation Project based in Ohrid and Division for Implementation of the Dojran Lake Salvage Project based in Star Dojran, as well as three bodies as constituent parts, i.e. State Inspectorate of Environment, Office of Environment and Fund of Environment and Nature Protection and Improvement …/…
University St Cyril and Methodius of Skopje – Faculty of Engineering
The Ss. Cyril and Methodius University’s mission is to be an autonomous, scientific and higher educational university which provides teaching, scholar and applied activities in technical, natural sciences and mathematics, bio-technical, artistic, medical and social sciences…/…