The challenge to meet an E.U standard : The ecological, chemical, quantitative “good status " for rivers, lakes and ground waters bodies Respect for water ecosystems Kosovo Rivers implemented by Think about it ! This E.U project aims at enhancing the partner institutions capacity and professionals skill to improve River Basin Management and prepare Kosovo to join the E.U. - Databases - geographical Information System (GIS) - Modelling for optimum water allocation (WEAP) - Modelling for mapping flood risk + results analyses - monitoring surface and ground waters - Insuring the quality of the data & information - assessing water bodies status and the gap with objectives achievement 2 - Staff trained to use modern tools Change our behaviour, prevent pollution, collect treat wastewaters and dispose properly garbage... protect fish habitats : implement step by step the Water Framework Directive 1- Reinforced institutions with efficient procedures and good data & information Project strategy : in 4 pilot zones to test methods, collect data, train staff, and identify resources needed to sustain the effort River basins A River Basin District characterisation report a River Basin Management Pan setting the environmental objectives a Programme of Measures to achieve the objectives in time a Programme of Surveillance of the surface and ground waters to check if objectives are achieved. Economic analyses help to ensure that measures are appropriate and feasible. The level of living of the population is taken into consideration ( affordable water price). achieved on What to do ?Groundwater Pilot Project near Istok 1. High recharge: Chlorine in rainwater and groundwater samples was analyzed. It was possible with this method to estimate groundwater recharge. Recharge may be close to 50% in some areas. 2. Shallow depth to water: Most rural households have their own private well(s). Depths to groundwater ranged between 0 and 15.6 m below ground level (m.bgl) and averaged 3.5 m.bgl. 3. High permeability: tests conducted on 21 wells evidenced that the aquifer is generally highly permeable (44 m/day), just like sand. 4. This aquifer is at risks for contamination. In rural areas, for instance, extra care should be taken to protect groundwater and for health reason to locate wells far from latrines and other polluting sources. As very little groundwater data is available for Kosovo, to collect and analyse base groundwater data is an urgent matter. It is crucial to better preserve this wealth. In around, 100 wells distant from 2km each other, measures were carried out with simple devises and method. The project train the WD and HMIK staff who carried out most of the work themselves. Measurements in a wells of a Bosnian family Institutional Support to the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (MESP) and River Basin Authorities”I S-MESP-RBA An E.U funded Project: managed by the European Liaison Office ECLO

In the field of water resource, the E.U Member States have to achieve the objectives set in compliance with E.U Directives. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2000/60/EC required the public information and participation to set and achieve environmental objectives (good status fro water bodies). The WFD provides a frame for other Directives dealing with: - Dangerous Substances - Water for human consumption - Urban Wastewater - Nitrates from agricultural source - Groundwater protection - Habitats of fauna and flora Socio- economic activities Pressure on ecosystems and ground water Impact on health, environment, family and business live 1- More and more gravel extracted in rivers 2 -The whole river flow captured for irrigation; 3- Restaurants, fish farms, wastewaters flowing directly in rivers; garbage near rivers 1- More and more gravel extracted in rivers 2 -The whole river flow captured for irrigation; 3- Restaurants, fish farms, wastewaters flowing directly in rivers; garbage near rivers 1,2- Gravelled river beds with dirty water are unattractive ! Valuable land is eroded, bridges endangered, river is full of sediments (cost to protect or repair road infrastructure ) 3- Children diseases due to contact (bath ) with unhealthy waters ; water resources used for human consumption are polluted (cost for families) ; The polluted surface or ground water cannot be used for irrigation and soils are polluted (losses for farmers 1- Habitat for fauna and flora are destroyed : less fish in rivers, erosion of farm lands and near road infrastructure; 2- Rivers are dry, no minimum flow for fishes; 3- Pollutants level is high in river, bio-diversity decreases : low ecological status ; Join European Union, yes but.... Every day, ecosystems are impacted How to better use and allocate the water between users ? How to set the limit to save guard aquatic life ? What are the outcomes ? We help put together a plan for optimising the management of surface water resources. Optimising means a more efficient and fairer use of water and respect of the ecosystem. To this end, project experts have analysed series of hydrology data and produce a general hydrologic study. With specific methods, they estimated the water balance of river flows : the quantity of resource available / the quantity of water used, under different circumstances Then, setting assumptions to build scenarios, model enables us to have a better idea of the risk of water shortage when for example there is three year with low precipitations. Why we do this ? The number of urban and rural households is growing rapidly and irrigated food production is regaining interest from commercial farmers. What if more water is needed for domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes than is available for fish and other living organisms in the rivers? With climate change, river water flows may plunge and supplies become uncertain. Moreover, since rivers become more polluted wastewater treatment must become a priority in Kosovo. What we have done ? We identified the water users and operators and their future water needs. We carried out measurements in the river to estimate the minim flow. We set up a computer modelling tool for water resource planning (WEAP) and use this tool to answer questions such as these : How much water can an operator abstract from the Decan river without compromising the rights of others? What needs to be done if in one year water in the Radoniqi lake is insufficient? With whom we work ? In the Lumbardhe i Decanit / Radoniqi pilot area, our project works with colleagues from the River Coordination Unit of the Water Department together with urban and rural planners from municipal departments. Questions A minimum flow in river is needed for fishes survival Pilot project : water management in Radoniqi water system Pilot project on macro- invertebrates sampling and analysing