The Transboundary River Nestos and Its Water Quality Assessment: Cross-Border Cooperation between Greece and Bulgaria

Transboundary water resources require the cooperation of the countries involved, not only on the various uses of the water, but also on overall water quality and the protection of ecosystems. Transboundary rivers and their management constitute a contemporary issue of great significance. Cooperation between neighboring countries is not always easy, due to different socio-economic and political conditions. Therefore, the different needs and priorities between the countries involved need to be solved first. Since pollution does not stop at a State border, it is an example of something that can be solved only at the cross-border level. This paper presents the cross-border cooperation between two transnational Institutions; the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece) and the University of Sofia (Bulgaria), within the framework of Interreg programs. The first collaborated attempt was to carry out a coordinated program for monitoring the pollution of the Nestos River. The second was the protection and restoration of the ecosystem through the education of young engineers and the transfer of experiences and scientific knowledge across the borders.