THE DRIN RIVER BASIN

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1 Elisabeta Poci February 9 th 2012 THE DRIN RIVER BASIN CE 397 Transboundary Waters INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The Drin River Basin is located in the Western Balkans and it is shared between Albania, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro. The basin represents a very complex water system where rivers, lakes, wetlands, groundwater interact with each other and create a very rich ecosystem in terms of natural resources. Shkodra Ohrid wikipedia Rivers and Lakes comprising the Drin Basin The total catchment area of the basin is around 19,600 km 2 and it includes the Black Drin, White Drin and Buna River, as well as the Shkodra, Ohrid and Prespa lakes. The Black Drin originates from Lake Ohrid and flows up north crossing the border between Macedonia and Albania and 1

2 meets the White Drin which rises in Kosovo. They flow together as Drin River through the territory of Albania until they meet the Buna River and discharge finally to Adriatic Sea. On the other hand, the water from Prespa Lakes, which are shared between Albania, Greece and Macedonia, flows to Lake Ohrid through the porous underground karstic formations. (PANO, 2008) The basin represents great importance in terms of natural resources not only on national level for the riparian countries but also in the global level. Shkodra Lake, which is the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula, is one of the largest bird reserves in Europe and therefore has been included in the Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance. Prespa Lakes are the highest tectonic lakes in the Balkans and they are especially important for water birds, notably Prespa Lakes E.Poci, 2011 the largest breeding colony of Dalmatian pelicans in the world and they are also part of Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. Ohrid Lake is one of Europe s deepest and oldest lakes and the deepest lake in the Balkans. The lake preserves a unique aquatic ecosystem with more than 200 endemic species. Because of this importance, in 1979 it was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. (2) Besides these natural values, the Drin Basin is important to the economy of riparian countries and the main users of water are Ohrid Lake looking South at Inflow from Prespa E.Poci, 2011 agriculture and livestock, energy, water supply and sanitation, mining and industry, environment, fisheries, tourism, and transport. Speaking specifically to Albania, the Drin River is highly important since the damns build along it, cover around 90% of electricity needs for Albania. 2

3 IDENTIFYING THE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES CONCERNING THE BASIN The basin lies in an area where severe conflicts in the last decades have transformed the borders creating new states among which Kosovo is the youngest country in Europe, after the dissolving of Former Republic of Yugoslavia. Political developments after the 90 s transformed these countries (excluding Greece) from an isolated area under the communist regime, into democratic countries. These changes have been associated with rapid and most of the time unregulated development, which has led to an overuse of water resources in the region generally and in the Drin Basin specifically. As a consequence of these developments the basin faces several problems to include: Pollution from discharge of untreated domestic and industrial waste water, Unauthorised solid waste dumping into rivers, Pollution from the Mines activity, Depleted uranium ordinance (White Drin, Kosovo) High erosion as a result of the topography and deforestation, Severe flooding (Buna sub basin), Deviation of river beds as a cause of human interventions. On a national level, arising and existence of these technical issues is related also to poor management practices as a result of weak institutional structures as well as lack of regulation and law enforcement. On the transboundary level, there is a total lack of a comprehensive common vision for management of the basin taking into accounts all of the water users and the needs of each of the riparian countries. There is a need for sharing of information amongst countries and enhancing cooperation and coordination in order to preserve the natural values of the basin. (Trans-Boundary Waters and Integrated Water Resource Management in the Western Balkans Region, 2007) COOPERATION AND CONSULTATION PROCESS IN THE DRIN RIVER BASIN Several bilateral agreements and Memorandum of Understandings have been signed between the riparian countries and they all take place after the 90 s. The only agreement dating before this period is the one signed between Albania and the Former Republic of Yugoslavia on 1956 on the Questions of Water Management related to the management of Ohrid Lake. The joint management committee that was established never became effective. 3

4 The World Bank tried to reestablish this agreement after the 90 s and it was only in November 1996 when a Memorandum of Understanding of lake Ohrid Conservation Project was signed between Albania and Macedonia. Similar bilateral agreements signed between Albania and respective neighbor countries aim at enhancing cooperation in the management of lakes Shkodra and Prespa in order to preserve natural resources and encourage sustainable development. The most recent approach in initiating a comprehensive dialogue between riparian countries in the Drin Basin is the Consulation Process on Integrated Management of the extended Drin River Basin. The process which started with a first meeting in Tirana on 2008, is established in the framework of the Petersberg Phase II / Athens Declaration Process and UNCE Water Convention contribute to the implementation of the GEF Strategic Partnership for the Mediterranean Large Marine Ecosystems (GEF SPM) and the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative (MED EUWI). The Drin Dialogue process addressed the issues and challenges concerning the basin and at the end of this process the riparian countries expressed their intention for a Shared Vision for the Drin Basin management. The Declaration was signed and adopted by the Ministers and high level representatives of Albania, FYR Macedonia, Greece and Kosovo on October (4) Other developments on the national institutional level comprise the approximation of legislation for water resources management with the EU legislation following the Water Framework Directive which encourages/demand water management on the basin level. This is another driving force for the riparian countries (except Greece which is already part of the EU) since each of them is inspiring to become part of the European Union and this is one of the conditions they have to comply with. QUESTIONS: 1. What do you think about the past and current situation in the Drin Basin in terms of transboundary cooperation? Why do you think there is such a relaxed atmosphere? Do you forsee any future arising conflicts? 2. What would it take for the initiative for cooperation for the Drin Basin to arise from the riparian countries? Do you think that without the support and initiative of such international organisations and institutions (EU, GEF) the Drin Dialogue would still happen? 4

5 3. As the lack of Law Enforcement is one the main challenges when it comes to such countries, what means do you think the countries could use to make a better implementation of the Water Resources Law? Do you see any constraints on that? If so, what are they? REFERENCES: (1) PANO, Niko Water Resources of Albania (2) wikipedia. [Online] (3) Trans-Boundary Waters and Integrated Water Resource Management in the Western Balkans Region. Giantris, Philip D Tirana : s.n., (4) [Online] (5) [Online] (6) [Online] (7) [Online] 5