On 27 and 28 January, representatives of eight water associations sat down at the World Bank premises in Vienna to take stock of past successes and future perspectives of D-LeaP, the Danube Learning Partnership. Also present were representatives of partner organizations GIZ and NALAS, and a ninth regional representative took part online.

The meeting agenda included the presentation and discussion of the draft D-LeaP Annual Report 2024 and the planned D-LeaP delivery activities in 2025. Also on the table were the latest update of the D-LeaP Operating Manual, including the approved Quality Management Framework, and a status update on the coordination between D-LeaP and other capacity building activities such as under RCDN+ and UoF-CoE.

The general meeting atmosphere was at once amiable and highly productive with a nice dinner as a social highlight, and the Hub Accreditation ceremony crowning the work program.

Generally, the D-LeaP Committee Council was extremely satisfied with the large number of trainings in 2024. In total, 14 Hubs delivered 7 programs, training 120 utilities. Reports on the scheduled deliveries in 2025 show that the reach of the program will again extend this year, with Asset Management, Utility Benchmarking Program and Water Safety Planning trainings high on the agenda of many Hubs. 

For 2025, 13 Hubs are expected to deliver 7 programs, including the newly introduced UGP. We thank everybody for their time, their efforts, and their contributions to a great meeting. Keep up the good work!