Kosovo generates most of its water resources within its territory, but a significant portion of this water comes at the wrong time, in the wrong place, or flows too fast through rivers to guarantee water security during increasingly dry summers. As climate change makes rainfall more unpredictable, the problem is not just being seen in reservoirs and water supply networks. It is also manifesting itself beneath the surface of Kosovo’s rivers, in the habitats and living communities that depend on them.

In August 2023, a group of researchers analyzed 20 locations along the Ibar River and its tributaries in Kosovo.

Using a standardized electrofishing monitoring protocol, the researchers recorded 23 fish taxa and 1,674 individuals.

But the findings were far more worrying than the number of species might suggest.

The study, published in 2024 in the scientific journal Ecologica Montenegrina , found that several characteristics of fish communities indicated serious degradation: low population density, limited diversity, very little evidence of reproduction, and the absence of several species used as indicators of ecological status. The researchers identified pollution, barriers to fish movement, and hydroelectric dams among the main factors that are modifying fish communities across a large part of the Ibar basin.

This is a dimension of the debate about water that in Kosovo often remains below the surface.

Public discussion usually intensifies when reservoir levels drop, when water shortages occur, when agriculture faces a lack of irrigation, or when heavy rainfall causes flooding.

But Kosovo’s water challenge begins much earlier. It begins with what happens to rain after it hits the ground.

How quickly does it drain? How much can it be stored? How much infiltrates the soil? How much must remain in rivers to maintain habitats and ecological processes?

And, above all, is Kosovo managing one of its most important natural resources at a time when the climate is making it increasingly unpredictable?

The Kosovo paradox: intense rainfall, but increasingly dry summers

Lake Vërmica drained and without water during the summer season (Photo: Butrint Avdyli)

In its 2024 Climate Change and Security Impact Assessment, NATO included its presence in Kosovo as one of three geographic case studies on the impact of climate on Alliance operations and missions.

The report warns that the combination of higher temperatures, increased fire risk, reduced rainfall and population growth could see four out of five of Kosovo’s watersheds facing water stress or scarcity by 2050. According to NATO, the pressure could affect water supplies for both the local population and KFOR and NATO Advisory and Liaison Team personnel.

This warning does not come in a vacuum.

Data that the Hydrometeorological Institute of Kosovo, IHMK, sent to the Telegraph shows that the precipitation regime in Kosovo is changing.

“Compared to the reference period 1960–2015, the average annual rainfall in Kosovo during the period 2015–2024 has decreased from 763.1 mm to 719.4 mm,” the IHMK’s response to the Telegraph states.

This represents a reduction of 43.7 millimeters or 5.7 percent.

But the institution warns that the problem is not just the total amount of precipitation.

“Intense rainfall events are becoming more frequent and more concentrated in short time intervals,” says IHMK in its response to the Telegraph.

The consequences are multiple.

According to the institute, intense rainfall increases the risk of flash floods, especially in small basins and mountainous areas, as well as the risk of urban flooding when sewage systems fail to cope with the intensity of the water.

At the same time, surface runoff increases and soil infiltration and groundwater recharge decrease. Erosion, sediment transport in rivers, and the risk of landslides also increase.

On the other side of this extreme are droughts.

“IHMK data and climate analyses show that droughts in Kosovo are becoming more frequent and more pronounced,” the institute says.

The IHMK emphasizes that this does not mean that each year is drier than the previous one. The main trend, according to the institute, is the increase in climate variability: longer periods without precipitation are interrupted by episodes of intense precipitation.

In practice, this creates a paradox.

Kosovo can have too much water in a very short period and too little water when demand is greatest.

Rain falls in Kosovo, but the water quickly drains away

Rainfall in Kosovo (Photo: Telegrafi)

Prof. Dr. Skender Bublaku, professor of hydrology at UBT, who analyzed rainwater management and water security in Kosovo for this story, says that the problem begins with the very way the country treats the water it receives from rainfall.

“Kosovo institutions should focus more on measuring, collecting, storing and using rainwater, instead of just quickly draining it from the territory,” Skender Bublaku told Telegrafi.

According to him, about 90 percent of Kosovo’s water resources are generated within the country’s territory, mainly from rainfall, while only about 10 percent comes from abroad.

However, the geographical position, relief and relatively small surface area cause a significant portion of the water to quickly drain away towards three sea basins: the Adriatic, the Black Sea and the Aegean.

Average monthly rainfall in Pristina: comparison of the historical period with the period 2001–2023 (Analysis: Skender Bublaku)

According to data from the Kosovo Water Strategy analyzed by Bublaku, the total annual flow is estimated at around 3.608 billion cubic meters of water.

But the distribution is far from equal.

The Drini i Bardhë contributes about 2.2 billion cubic meters per year, or approximately 61 percent of the total flow. The Ibri contributes about 771 million cubic meters, the Morava e Binçës with 330 million and the Lepenc with about 307 million.

Bublaku says that the problem becomes even clearer when calculating the theoretical amount of water in relation to the population.

“Kosovo’s problem is not only related to the overall quantity of water at the national level, but especially to its spatial and seasonal distribution,” he told Telegrafi.

Water availability by main basins

Based on the population registered in the 2024 Census, the theoretical national availability is about 2,251 cubic meters per capita per year. But the Drini i Bardhë has about 3,861 cubic meters per capita, while the Ibri only about 1,068.

This means that the White Drini has about 3.6 times more theoretically available water per inhabitant than the Ibri.

“The Ibar Basin, where most of the population and economic activity is concentrated, has only about 1,068 m³ per capita per year,” said Bublaku, describing this as one of the most important structural differences in water security in Kosovo. Skender Bubalku for Telegrafin

The problem, therefore, is not simply the question of how much water Kosovo has.

It’s where that water is found, when it’s available, and how much can be stored for the period when it’s needed.

Only one-sixth of the annual flow can theoretically be held in reservoirs

Lake Radoniq, the largest lake in Kosovo (Photo: Facebook)

At this point another limitation appears.

According to Bublaku, the total theoretical capacity of existing accumulations in Kosovo is around 559 million cubic meters.

This represents only about 15.5 percent of the annual flow of 3.608 billion cubic meters.

“The theoretical capacity of the reservoirs is equal to about one-sixth of the water that is generated and flows during an average year,” Bublaku told Telegrafi.

This is also just a theoretical figure.

Annual rainfall and increasing trend, 2002–2023 (Analysis: Skender Bublaku)

The amount that can actually be used may be lower due to sedimentation, evaporation, operating levels, technical limitations, and the need to leave sufficient water in river systems.

And while some of the water is removed without being accumulated, another part is lost within the supply system itself.

According to data from the Water Services Regulatory Authority analyzed by Bublaku, public systems produced around 200.5 million cubic meters of water during 2024.

Only 73.9 million cubic meters were billed and recorded as used, while about 126.6 million cubic meters, or approximately 63 percent, were classified as non-revenue water.

However, this figure should not be read as if 63 percent of water simply flows through pipes. The category of non-revenue water can include physical losses, but also unbilled water or problems with metering and recording.

Bublaku estimates that total water use for public supply, irrigation, and industry amounts to approximately 214–224 million cubic meters per year, only about 6–7 percent of the historical annual flow.

But here, he says, caution is needed.

Not every cubic meter that is not used by humans is “wasted water.”

Some of the water must infiltrate the ground. Some must recharge groundwater. And some must continue to flow through rivers to keep ecosystems alive.

Kosovo, according to him, cannot and should not capture the entire flow.

This takes the debate about reservoirs into much more complex territory.

Beneath the water’s surface: biodiversity that rarely enters the water security debate

The Iber River in South Mitrovica, Kosovo (Photo: Telegraph)

The Ibar Basin, which according to Bublak data has one of the lowest levels of theoretical water availability per capita, is also the habitat of an important community of aquatic species.

Pollution wasn’t the only problem.

According to the study, barriers to fish movement and hydropower dams were among the most important factors of degradation.

This is particularly important for the debate around the construction of new water capacities.

Kosovo may need to retain more water for dry periods, but interventions that interrupt river continuity could bring new costs to habitats and species.

Even the White Drini, the richest water basin in Kosovo, has significant biodiversity.

For Viktor Berishaj, Senior Policy Officer at EuroNatur , such cases show why water security and biodiversity cannot be treated as two separate issues.

“The state of aquatic ecosystems and freshwater biodiversity in Kosovo and the wider Western Balkans is worrying,” Viktor Berishaj told Telegraf.

He cites pollution, river fragmentation, hydropower plants, urbanization, gravel extraction, poor wastewater management, and climate change among the main pressures.

“The health of aquatic ecosystems is not just an environmental issue, it is an issue of water safety, public health, agriculture and long-term development,” said Berishaj.

What does a more extreme water regime do to life in rivers?

Natural water reserves at the source of Istog, Kosovo (Photo: Butrint Avdyli)

The ecological problem is not only related to pollution or the construction of dams.

Even changing the water regime itself can put ecosystems under pressure.

When heavy rainfall falls over a very short period, the IHMK says that surface runoff, erosion, and sediment transport in rivers increase.

This can change the physical characteristics of the river habitat. On the other hand, longer periods without rainfall reduce flows and reduce the space available for aquatic organisms.

It is for this reason that Bublaku warns that water retention cannot be done by ignoring ecological flows.

While reservoirs can help store water for dry months, rivers need a sufficient amount of water for sediment transport, maintaining quality, and functioning of habitats.

Viktor Berishaj puts the problem even broader. “We cannot have healthy ecosystems without healthy water,” he told Telegraf.

According to Berishaj, rivers, wetlands and floodplains are not just habitats.

They “conserve and purify water, mitigate floods, help recharge groundwater, and retain moisture during periods of drought.”

“When rivers are degraded, wetlands dry up or banks are concreted, not only biodiversity is lost, but also the natural ability of the landscape to adapt to extreme phenomena,” said Berishaj.

Concrete or nature: where should Kosovo store its water?

A citizen with an umbrella in the rainy weather on the streets of Pristina (Photo: Telegrafi)

Here one of the most difficult dilemmas of water policy appears.

If Kosovo needs to store more water during the winter and spring for use in the summer, should the answer be to build more reservoirs?

Bublaku believes that increasing storage capacities is necessary.

It proposes the rehabilitation and increase of the effective capacity of existing reservoirs, the construction of new accumulations and local reservoirs, the development of retention and infiltration basins, the controlled recharge of groundwater and the storage of a portion of winter and spring flows for summer use.

But his answer is not just concrete.

“Nature-based solutions can contribute to increasing Kosovo’s water security by slowing runoff, increasing infiltration, reducing flooding, and creating reserves for dry periods,” Bublaku told Telegrafi.

Kosovo, according to him, has relatively few natural wetlands, among other things due to its mainly hilly-mountainous relief.

He therefore recommends the restoration of existing wetlands, natural floodplains and riparian belts, along with retention basins, urban green spaces and controlled groundwater recharge.

“These measures should complement, not replace, traditional water storage and infrastructure,” says Bublaku.

Berishaj also rejects the idea that the choice should be either infrastructure or nature.

“A functional wetland, a natural river or a forest along the banks are not just habitats for biodiversity. They are natural infrastructure,” Viktor Berishaj told Telegrafi.

For a long time, according to him, water policy has been based on the idea that problems should be solved through gray infrastructure.

“We are now realizing that in many cases nature offers more efficient, more sustainable and often more economical solutions in the long term,” said Berishaj.

This, he adds, does not mean eliminating traditional infrastructure, but designing it so that it “complements rather than replaces the functioning of ecosystems.”

This is particularly important given that the Ibar study identifies dams and barriers among the factors that have contributed to the degradation of fish communities.

So, the question is not just whether Kosovo needs more accumulations.

The question is where they can be built, how much water can be sustainably stored, and how to avoid damaging rivers that are themselves part of the water security system.

Strategy on paper, gaps in implementation

in Kosovo, a consequence of improper rainwater management (Photo: Elvis Perlleshi)

Kosovo already has a State Water Strategy for the period 2017–203 6.

But, for Bublaku, the main problem is that the implementation has not been accompanied by a sufficiently strong and unified data base. He singles out the lack of a new national water balance.

“In parallel, a new national water balance should be prepared, with a unified methodology and results according to basins and sub-basins,” Bublaku told Telegrafi.

According to him, data on inflows, annual flow, storage capacities and water availability per capita vary between official documents.

This creates uncertainty in planning.

“Historical data, some of which dates back decades, can no longer be used as the sole basis for planning,” Bublaku said, citing changes in temperature, precipitation, snow cover and the seasonal flow regime.

For him, the first step should be monitoring.

“The first and most urgent measure should be continuous monitoring of river flows,” he said.

Bublaku proposes an initial state program of at least five years, with rehabilitation and expansion of the hydrometric network, installation of automatic stations, real-time data transmission and measurement of low, medium and high flows.

But the implementation problem is not only related to hydrology.

Berishaj says that issues of water, climate and biodiversity are present in Kosovo’s policies and in the European integration process, but “are still not treated with the weight and urgency they require.” j

“However, the main challenge is not just the adoption of laws, but their implementation,” he told the Telegraph.

According to Berishaj, this means planning at the river basin level, monitoring water quality, real protection of habitats, pollution control, and banning projects that cause serious damage to ecosystems.

He says Kosovo can learn an important lesson from European Union practices: water should be managed according to basins and not just administrative boundaries.

For Berishaj, priorities include full implementation of river basin management, better wastewater treatment, pollution control, strengthening environmental assessments, identifying and protecting areas with high biodiversity, and increasing institutional capacities for monitoring and enforcement.

“Harmonization with the EU should not be seen only as a technical obligation, but as an opportunity to protect the natural resources on which the country’s development depends,” he said.

Water security cannot be built by leaving rivers lifeless

Water reserves in Lake Sferkë, Klinë, Kosovo (Photo: Elvis Perlleshi)

The IHMK is recording a climate with longer periods without precipitation and more intense rain episodes.

NATO warns that most of Kosovo’s watersheds could face water stress or shortages by mid-century.

Bublak’s analysis shows a country where about 90 percent of water resources are generated within the territory, but where the theoretical capacity of the reservoirs is equivalent to only about one-sixth of the annual flow.

Meanwhile, scientific studies on the Ibar and Drini i Bardhë rivers show that the rivers that carry this water are not simply hydrological channels. They are complex and in some cases already damaged ecosystems.

For Berishaj, continued degradation will have consequences that go beyond the loss of species.

“If the degradation of rivers, wetlands and freshwater habitats continues, the long-term risks are serious,” he said.

He cites declining water quality and quantity, increased risk of floods and droughts, damage to agriculture, loss of natural services, and increased public costs for artificial infrastructure.

“A damaged river is not only a loss for nature, it is a weakening of the sustainability of society,” said Berishaj.

Learning to save the rain

Kishnica Desert in the Municipality of Gracanica, created by the lack of water in Lake Badovci, Gracanica, Kosovo (Photo: Besnik Fetiu)

The water problem in Kosovo doesn’t just start when a reservoir level drops. It doesn’t just start when a municipality imposes cuts. It doesn’t start when farmers lack irrigation. And it doesn’t even start when a river overflows its banks after a few hours of intense rainfall. It starts when the rain hits the ground.

At that moment, a chain of processes begins that determines whether the water will flow immediately out of the territory, penetrate the ground, recharge groundwater, be stored for the dry months, or remain in the river to support the life that depends on it.

Bublaku says Kosovo needs a fundamental change in the way it thinks about this resource: more measurement, more conservation, more planning, and less reliance on old data.

IHMK warns that the climate is narrowing the space for delays.

Berishaj argues that the answer cannot come by sacrificing rivers and ecosystems in the name of water security.

And field studies show why.

In the Ibar, researchers are already recording degraded fish communities.

In the White Drini, science continues to discover a biological diversity that has not yet been fully documented.

In Bistrica e Shala and Mirusha, aquatic species are being recorded that until recently were not known to exist in Kosovo.

This makes the equation more complex, but also clearer.

Kosovo needs to conserve more water. But it also needs to conserve rivers.

Some of the precipitation must accumulate. Some must penetrate the ground and feed groundwater.

And some of it must continue its flow, keeping alive the fish, aquatic insects, coastal habitats, and ecological processes that depend on it.

The challenge is not to choose between water for people and water for nature. The challenge is to build a system where both can survive.

Because in a climate where water is becoming increasingly unpredictable, rain that is not managed today could become the water we will lack tomorrow.

/ Telegraph/

* This article was written as part of the ‘Earth Journalism Network’s Western Balkans Story Grant 2026’ project, implemented by EJN.