Why Does Kosovo Face Water Supply Problems Every Summer?

After nearly ten days of irregular drinking water supplies, residents of Dragash, in southern Kosovo, staged a protest this week.

Supply difficulties and water restrictions during the summer months have recurred for years in several parts of Kosovo.

Water expert Skender Bublaku believes the country has sufficient resources to ensure a stable supply, but the problem lies in how they are managed.

Speaking on Radio Free Europe’s “5 Questions” podcast, he linked water shortages to high losses in the system and low storage capacity.

According to Bublaku, Kosovo uses only about 15 percent of its surface water, while approximately 15 percent of it is stored.

He says more than 55 percent of the water is lost, while during the autumn, winter and spring, the vast majority of the water flows out of Kosovo’s territory without being stored.

Why does the situation worsen during the summer?

According to the expert, the difficulties are greater in municipalities supplied by water sources without storage systems.

He explains that in July, August and September, direct water sources without storage facilities cannot provide the minimum amount of water needed.

Among the areas dependent on river flows or groundwater, Bublaku lists Ferizaj, which is supplied directly from the river, as well as Peja, Kamenica and other places.

Supply disruptions are usually attributed to technical faults, turbidity at water sources or problems related to water quality.

Bublaku acknowledges that technical failures can occur in any system. However, according to him, when the same problems continue to recur over the years without being resolved, the responsibility lies with management.

Dams as an alternative for a long-term solution

To improve the situation sustainably, Bublaku says Kosovo must make long-term investments in water storage, including the construction of dams.

The Vetëvendosje Movement, the party that won the latest elections, has promised to build five water dams during the next government term.

Bublaku says he would be satisfied if even one dam were built, or at least if work on it were to begin.

However, he emphasizes that dam construction cannot be completed within a single government term.

What consequences could diverting the Ibar River have?

During the “5 Questions” podcast, the expert was also asked to comment on Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s statement that Serbia is considering the possibility of altering the course of the Ibar River.

According to Bublaku, warnings about diverting the Ibar are more a form of political pressure than a concrete project.

He says he does not consider this a specific, genuine problem or something that is expected to happen, but advises Kosovo to exercise great caution and monitor the situation.

If such a scenario were to materialize, Bublaku warns that Kosovo’s water infrastructure would suffer severe damage, as it covers almost all of central Kosovo./RFE