DaWetRest at the 8th International Blue-Black Sea Congress in Istanbul

Istanbul, Turkey – Dr. Boian Koulov, project manager and part of the coordination team of the DaWetRest project, attended the 8th International Blue-Black Sea Congress held on May 8th and 9th, 2025, at Marmara University in Istanbul. The congress focused on Conflict Resolution, Sustainability, and Development, drawing experts and practitioners from various fields to discuss pressing environmental challenges.

Dr. Koulov, was a member of the scientific advisory committee for the event, moderated a panel and gave a presentation that used the DaWetRest project as a case study to highlight key issues in environmental governance. He led the fourth panel, titled “Environment, Sustainability and Human Security in the Black Sea,” which explored the region’s environmental challenges and solutions.

In his presentation, titled “Political Environmental Geography in Practice: Conceptualization of the Danube River and the Black Sea Basin in the European Commission’s ‘Oceans and Water’ Mission,” Dr. Koulov critically analyzed the European Commission’s approach to regional classification within its Restore Our Oceans and Waters mission. He used the DaWetRest project as a case study to explore the conceptualization of key European water ecosystems.

Dr. Koulov pointed out that the European Commission’s categorization of regions in its mission, which designates four “Lighthouses” or water basins, could benefit from a more nuanced, scientific approach. Rather than lumping together Western and Central Europe into broader regions that share similar funding, Dr. Koulov proposed the application of a geo-systems approach. He argued that effective policies and regional priorities must be guided by a framework based on scientific, evidence-based functional regions that adhere to strict geospatial ecosystems classification criteria.

As part of the Restore Our Oceans and Waters mission, the DaWetRest project contributes to the European Commission’s efforts to protect and restore Europe’s water bodies, focusing on the Danube River and the Black Sea Basin. Dr. Koulov’s insights provided valuable input to the ongoing discussions about how to optimize the European Commission’s missions and ensure that environmental actions and investments are both effective and tailored to the specific needs of each region.

The 8th International Blue-Black Sea Congress continues to serve as a key platform for thought leaders, researchers, and policymakers to come together and work toward solutions for sustainable environmental management and conflict resolution in critical water ecosystems.

You can read the Final Declaration of the 8th International Blue-Black Sea Congress here, outlining the core themes discussed during the Congress.