On May 15, 2026, the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine hosted an expert working seminar titled: “Modernization of Water and Irrigation Infrastructure: Practical Solutions by NGO "Primavera"  to Support Reforms and Attract Investments.”

The event served as a platform for professional dialogue between representatives of government institutions and the expert community regarding modern approaches to the modernization of water management and irrigation infrastructure, the development of irrigation and drainage systems, as well as the formation of investment mechanisms and a joint action plan for the recovery of Ukraine’s water sector.

The seminar was attended by Deputy Minister Iryna Ovcharenko, representatives of the Ministry, the State Fisheries Agency Of Ukraine, the State Water Resources Agency, and experts from NGO "Primavera".

Practical Solutions and Pilot Projects

During the seminar, experts of NGO "Primavera" presented the results of implemented pilot projects and approaches to preparing feasibility studies for the modernization of water management systems.

As part of the seminar, innovative investment plans and master plans were presented for four pilot territories demonstrating integrated approaches to water and land resource management in rural areas:

Zakarpattia (Vynohradiv Municipal Territorial Community). A comprehensive territorial development concept based on the restoration of flood protection and land reclamation infrastructure in the Borzhava and Salva river basins.

Volyn Region (Krychevychi Drainage System). A unique project for the Polissia region focused on establishing Water Users Organizations (WUOs) to manage multifunctional dual-purpose drainage systems for both water drainage and moisture regulation.

Poltava Region (Hradyzka WUO). Implementation of the innovative SWEAT decision-support information system to assess the energy efficiency of irrigation system modernization scenarios.

Odesa Region (Suvorov Irrigation System / “Water of Life” WUO). A €59.5 million investment project for infrastructure restoration developed in cooperation with the European Investment Bank’s UAFATA technical assistance project. The initiative предусматриває full automation, agromonitoring systems, and construction of an autonomous 4.5 MW solar power plant.

Olga Zovtonog, Director of NGO, presented the organization’s key areas of activity, international partnerships, and experience in implementing technical assistance projects at national, regional, and local levels.

Deputy Minister Iryna Ovcharenko positively assessed the organization’s activities and emphasized the importance of using the outcomes of such projects in the work of the Ministry and specialized agencies, particularly in implementing innovative approaches and attracting investments into the water management sector, as well as testing legislation.

Special attention was devoted to the modernization of irrigation systems and the creation of modern water infrastructure management models.

Taras Kot, First Deputy Head of the State Fisheries Agency of Ukraine, expressed interest in the project results in Zakarpattia and Volyn regions and proposed integrating the outcomes of the Krychevychi drainage system project into the DREAM system.

The idea of establishing an operator for drainage-irrigation systems was also supported as a pilot example for developing the regulatory and methodological framework for operating multifunctional drainage systems.

During discussions on irrigation modernization projects in the Odesa region, experts of NGO "Primavera" emphasized that the proposed solutions are based on the “Build Back Better” principle, comply with international practices for investment project justification, and include:

• implementation of modern digital water resource management systems;
• application of agromonitoring and decision-support systems;
• use of innovative technologies;
• integration of alternative energy solutions;
• ensuring sustainable system operation under water scarcity risks.

Next Steps and Future Cooperation

Following the seminar, participants agreed to continue the practice of joint working events involving the Ministry, the State Fisheries Agency of Ukraine, the State Water Resources Agency, and NGO "Primavera".

Key areas for future cooperation include:

• using pilot territories as testing grounds for improving the regulatory and methodological framework;
• integrating pilot projects into the DREAM system;
• preparing proposals for international donors to support water management governance models;
• organizing round tables involving pilot territories, national and international experts to test legislation on the development of Operators and WUOs;
• conducting training seminars for WUOs, water management organizations, and water users;
• exploring opportunities for a study visit to the Netherlands to learn from Dutch water boards and modern water infrastructure management models.

Separately, the State Water Resources Agency confirmed its interest in continuing cooperation with NGO "Primavera"  in the fields of flood risk management, water resource monitoring, preservation, and restoration of water infrastructure.

The seminar demonstrated the importance of uniting government institutions, the expert community, and international experience in shaping modern approaches to water resource management in Ukraine.

The developments presented during the event may become the foundation for further advancement of pilot investment projects, improvement of the regulatory framework, and scaling up modern water infrastructure modernization models at the national level.