The explosion that damaged the Ibar-Lepenac canal in the north of Kosovo on November 29, for which the Kosovo authorities blamed Serbia, started a debate about the safety of this vital water supply system, necessary for the lives of citizens in Kosovo. This canal is supplied with water from Lake Ujmani/Gazivode, with two-thirds in Kosovo and one-third in Serbia, which is filled by the Ibar River that comes from Serbia, Radio Free Europe reminds.
In a statement after the explosion, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that since 1985 there had been a proposal to change the course of the Ibar River to meet the needs of the population near the lake on the Serbian side, which would consequently dry up Lake Ujman/Gazivode, a critical source of water for Kosovo.
According to him, this could happen "with the decision of the Government of Serbia". However, he stated that he opposed the idea when it was proposed, even while he was prime minister, stressing that he did not want "nature to be used for political purposes".
The Ibar River and its importance
The Ibar River, about 270 kilometers long, originates in Montenegro, flows through Serbia, enters Kosovo at a length of 82 kilometers, and then returns to Serbia.
It fills the artificial lake Ujman, which stretches on the border of Kosovo and Serbia, with two thirds of its surface in Kosovo. The lake supplies water to seven municipalities, supports irrigation and cools the thermal power plants in Obilić, which produce most of the electricity in Kosovo.
The Kosovo government warned that if the attack on the Ibar-Lepenac canal had achieved its goal, "the consequences would have been staggering", leading to a chain reaction of water shortages, power outages, heating problems and telecommunications failures.
"The Minister of Economy (on December 3) signed a decision obliging the Kosovo Energy Corporation, Ibar-Lepenac, and the Pristina Water Company to find an alternative technical solution for supplying the Kosovo B Power Plant with water, in order to increase the security of its water supply," Krueziu said. for Radio Free Europe (RSE).
Does international law allow changing the course of the river?
One of the key global instruments that regulate issues of transboundary waters is the United Nations Convention on the Non-Navigable Use of International Watercourses from 1997.
Serbia is a signatory to this convention, but Kosovo is not, because it is not yet a member of the UN.
Among other principles, the UN Convention prescribes that for the transboundary use of water, the principle of fair and reasonable use and the obligation not to cause significant damage must be observed. It also includes a general obligation to cooperate.
"This convention also applies to countries in conflict," Miguel Borja Bernabé-Crespo, a professor at the Department of Geography at the University of Madrid, told RFE/RL. He is also president of the "Geographical Thinking Group" of the Spanish Geographical Society and editor of the scientific journal Water and Territory.
In 2019, Bernabé-Crespo published a study on water management in Lake Ujman, which is located in the disputed border area.
"The primary issue here is that the border exists only from the perspective of Kosovo, since Serbia does not recognize its independence," explained Bernabé-Crespo.
"However, even if Serbia does not recognize Kosovo, it represents an actor with a government recognized by many other countries, allowing the international community to press for cooperation," he added.
According to him, if the Government of Serbia decides to change the course of the river, the UN Convention requires a strong justification for such a decision.
"The convention obliges states to inform each other of all measures that could affect the other," noted Bernabé-Crespo, adding that human interests, such as water supply and environmental consequences, must also be taken into account.
Economic and practical challenges
Kosovo water expert Avdullah Nišori stated that the action of the Government of Serbia is impossible, not even for economic reasons.
"Changing the flow of the Ibar would be a colossal investment," said Nishori, who currently serves on the board of directors of the Ibar-Lepenac company, which manages the water resources of the Ibar River and Lake Ujman in Kosovo.
Nishori stressed that Kosovo must consider alternative and urgent resources to deal with scenarios such as a recent attack or natural disaster that threaten the water supply.
Missed chances for emergency water storage
Nishori highlighted past mistakes, such as neglecting proposals for dams or water storage facilities that could serve in emergency situations. One such project was envisaged in 2016 as part of a World Bank feasibility study, but was never implemented.
As part of this project, a dam is planned for the village of Mihalić in the municipality of Vučitrn, which could provide emergency water supply for a few days in the event of a canal breach.
"About 2 million euros have been set aside for infrastructure improvements, including the dam," Nishori explained.
The study read by RSE recommended the construction of the canal without the required expropriation, because the surrounding land is primarily agricultural land.
Although Nishori isn't sure why the project was canceled, he speculated that it might have been deemed unnecessary at the time.
Until the publication of this text, neither current nor former members of the management of the Ibar-Lepenac company have answered RFE's questions regarding the cancellation of the project. Former officials claimed in local media that the project "did not justify the investment."
Can Kosovo develop new water resources?
According to official data, Kosovo is considered a "water stressed" country due to insufficient water supply capacity.
In the Kosovo Water Strategy 2023-2027, it is noted that compared to countries in the region such as Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo has the lowest water resources per capita.
"Our geographical position is such that most rivers leave Kosovo or only briefly pass through it. In addition, our rivers are seasonal - during the winter, when the demand is lower, there is more water, but in the summer, when the demand increases, there may not be enough," Avdullah Nishori explained.
According to Nishori, long-term solutions like investing in new water reservoirs take time and are expensive.
"I'm not inclined to suggest quick fixes because they're usually ineffective." And there are no cheap solutions because the infrastructure needs to be built," he said.
The Kosovo government told Radio Free Europe that it has plans to build about eight new water reservoirs that could increase water supply capacity by approximately 120 percent from current levels, excluding Lake Ujman. However, no timeline was given for these projects.
"These essential projects are part of a strategy to address climate challenges, including droughts and floods, and to ensure a sustainable water supply for the entire country," emphasized government spokesman Prparim Krueziu.
Some of the planned reservoirs, such as those in the settlement of Firaje and in Štimlje, were also foreseen in a project that dates back decades. The infrastructure for the Ibar-Lepenac canal, started in the 1970s, was designed to manage water from two Kosovo rivers: the Ibar and the Lepenac.
While the Ibar section was completed and remains in operation, the Lepenac section in the southeastern part of the country was never developed.
According to Kosovo's water strategy, the completion of this infrastructure could ensure a more reliable water supply for nine more municipalities in the east and south of Kosovo.
The company Ibar-Lepenc told Radio Free Europe that the recent project involves the construction of a dam in the town of Firaje, located in the municipality of Shtrpce (central Kosovo), which would be filled by the Lepenac river.
The second phase of the project envisages the construction of a dam and an accumulation lake in Štimlje, which "would also be used for irrigation and energy production". However, the company noted that this phase is "significantly more expensive," without providing a cost estimate or timeline for either phase.
Nishori noted that the original Ibar-Lepenac project included plans for a canal to supply water to the Kosovo B Thermal Power Plant as an alternative source. However, it could take years for such investments to materialize.
Infrastructure improvements and water recycling
"It's always a good idea to diversify water supply sources, especially to reduce reliance on shared water resources (with Serbia)," says Spanish professor Miguel Borja Bernabé-Crespo.
However, he noted that Kosovo must also urgently improve its water infrastructure to "prevent water losses".
Official data shows that water supply systems in Kosovo experience losses of over 50 percent, including physical losses (leaking pipes) and commercial losses (metering errors, theft, etc.).
In addition, Bernabé-Crespo highlighted growing concerns about climate change, which is expected to "reduce water availability due to an increasingly uneven distribution of precipitation."
Developing strategies to use other water sources, such as reducing pollution, improving groundwater quality, and improving water recycling, is essential.
"Cost-wise, water recycling is more efficient than developing entirely new water sources," he added.
The Government of Kosovo announced that the planned projects, such as the rehabilitation of the water supply network in Djakovica, Gjilan, Uroševac and Prizren, are estimated at hundreds of millions of euros. They aim to "reduce water losses, improve quality and establish zonal distribution of supply."
Source: Radio Free Europe
