Water management
Water Resources
Waters are approximately 2% of the territory of Macedonia. There are about 35 rivers and 53 natural and artificial lakes. In relations to quantities of water resources, Macedonia belongs to areas that have sufficient water resources. However, their distribution is quite unequal. Rivers belong to 6 river basins: River Vardar - 20.535km2, River Crn Drim 3.350km2, River Strumica 1.535km2, Dojran Lake 120km2, River Lebnicka 129km2 and River Binacka Morava 44km2.
The flow of water from one river basin into another is quite important for the environment. Such flows exist from the basin of River Radika into the basin of River Vardar (through the Mavrovo hydro-electric plant) and from the basin of the River Bregalnica into the basin of River Strumica (from water accumulation Mantovo). Other flows are planned for the future such as: from the basin of River Vardar into the River Treska, from the basin of River Pcinja into Ovco Pole etc.).
Basin - implies part of the territory where the water from the atmospheric rainfalls, from the underwater springs and sources flow together into the sea. In Macedonia such basins are: the Aegian, the Black Sea and the Adriatic. Only an insignificant part of the territory of the neighbouring countries (10%) belong to these basins. The Aegian basin comprises 87% of the waters of the Republic of Macedonia.
FYR Macedonia has four main hydrographic catchments areas or basins and about 98 percent of its territory is in international basins shared with all neighboring countries: Serbia and Montenegro, Greece, Albania, and Bulgaria. Water resources are unevenly distributed over time and space. This unbalanced distribution causes shortages of water in many localities, particularly in the Strumica catchment area, where the lack of water affects all economic activities and threatens human health. About 40 percent of the demand is not met during an average dry year and water quality has been reported below biological minimum standards in periods when the rivers dry up.
Macedonia has three large tectonic lakes. The largest of the tectonic lakes is Lake Ohrid located in the Drin catchment area, with a surface area of 357 square kilometres. (About one third of its surface lies in Albania.) This lake is more than 2 million years old and is home to many unique species.
Water Management
The quality of drinking water in rural settlements is a serious concern. Monitoring of groundwater sources used for drinking conducted by the Ministry of Health reveals that although no serious sanitary-hygiene problems exist, about 5 percent of the monitored wells have experienced microbiological contamination. Since they have failed to meet the quality limits, they cannot be used for drinking.
The main piece of legislation on water resources management is the 1998 Law on Water and its several by-laws. The Law on Water defines the management and control of water use, protection and prevention of water contamination, protection against floods, as well as financing of water management activities. The law introduces the following important instruments and institutions: the creation of a water fund to finance water resources development and works of public interest; establishment of public water management enterprises and water users' associations; introduction of wastewater standards and pollution charges according to the polluter-pay principle; and appointment of water management inspectors. So far only the Water Fund has been set up.
With regards to transboundary water management, Macedonia is placing a high priority on cooperation for the management and use of transboundary rivers and lakes shared with its neighbouring countries. Cooperation with Albania is well advanced in relation to the management and protection of Lake Ohrid. Greece was recently added to the cooperation agreement since part of the watershed of Lake Ohrid lies in Greece.
Fact and Figures
Total Available Renewable Water Resources - 6 km2/yr (8,862 L/day/cap)
Renewed as:
- Surface water produced internally - 5.04 km3/yr (84%)
- Groundwater recharge - 0 km3/yr
- Incoming waters - 0.96 km3/year (16%)
Used by man - 1.8 km3/yr (30%)
Rainfall - 600 mm/year
Water Usage - 1.8 km3/yr (100%) By Sector:
- Agriculture - 1.3 km3/yr (74%)
- Industry - 0.27 km3/yr (15%)
- Domestic - 0.22 km3/yr (12%)
Population without Safe Access to..
.. an improved water source (2004) - 619,800 (30%)
- Average in Urban Areas - 0 %
- Average in Rural Areas - 72 %