Lake SKADAR / SHKODRA Sub-basin
(sub-basin shared by Albania and Serbia & Montenegro)

The city of Podgorica, capital of Montenegro (117,000 inhabitants), as well as other communes, industries and agriculture (pig farms) deposit a lot of waste and drain their insufficiently treated sewage into the lake tributaries (e.g. the Podgorica WWTP is designed for 55,000 people but is now servicing 150,000), thus leading to eutrophication of Skadar lake. Further, intensive fishing at the lake led to a decline of food for fish-eating birds.

Lake Skadar is emptying into Bojana/Buna river (44 km; average 320 m³/sec), which forms again the border at its mouth into the Adriatic Sea. Buna has traditionally been a navigable river linking the city of Shkoder (82,000 inhabitants) with the Adriatic Sea. After 1.5 km, the Drin river runs into Buna (then having a discharge of 680 m³/sec).
The Bojana bed is subject to aggradations by sediments from the river Drim during last decades. After completion of hydro-power plant Vau i Dejes  in Albania, the sediment supply from the upper reaches of the Drim has been cut off, but sediment deposits stored in the bed of river Drim between Vaudeis and the confluence with Bojana river deplete.
A disputed project is the construction of the Bushati hydropower plant in 2002, which, though approved by the World Bank, is contested by environmental NGOs as it has a transboundary character and would badly affect Lake Shkodra.

1.2. Demographic properties

General location of the basin

It is situated in south-eastern Montenegro in the Zeta-Shkoder valley, and in Albania in the north-west in the karst terrain of the south-eastern Dinaric Alps

Total population in basin

300,000 inh.

242,149 inh.

Population of principal cities or towns

Podgorica (capital of Montenegro): 160.000 inh
Cetinje: 22,000 inh.
Niksic: 73,000 inh.

Shkoder: 196,431
Malesi e Madhe: 45,718

Average per capita income

2,200 €

512.8 US$/year

Industrial and agricultural GDP (Gross Domestic Product) (2003)

Industrial: 620 USD/capita
Agriculture: 335 USD/capita

16.13 billion $ (estimated in 2003 for Albania

Population living below the poverty line

30%

30% (estimated in 2001 for Albania)

Other relevant characteristics

Aluminium production facilities situated in the basin (Podgorica) have a great impact on the river Moraca and therefore also the lake Skadar.
The existing municipal WWTP in Podgorica discharges its effluent into Moraca river at a quality which does not comply with the EU effluent standards.

Human activities have a considerable impact on the Shkoder Lake ecosystem, either directly (irrigation, drainage, poaching, overfishing) or indirectly (poor waste water management, illegal landfills). There is no major industry in the area except for Shkoder; the main source of income is agriculture and fisheries.

1.3 LAND USES

Arable land: 40%
Pastures: 10%
Other: 50%

The main land uses include park land and protected fauna/flora areas, forestry, grazing, dry and irrigated agriculture, urban and scattered industry, fish farming and coastal tourism.

2. WATER RESOURCES / USES AND ENVIRONMENT SITUATION

SERBIA & MONTENEGRO

ALBANIA

Total available surface and groundwater resources

For the total inflow of water into the lake, the Moraca River is the most significant tributary. Its sub-watershed is estimated at 3,200 km² and the river brings 200 m³/sec on average into the lake. The estimated outflow is 330 m³/sec.

Net usable capacity of surface reservoirs

H = 5 m, V_tot = 1.86 km³, 59.14% in Montenegro
H = 7 m, V_tot = 2.66 km³, 60.16% in Montenegro
H = 9.79 m, V_tot= 3.96 km³, 62.37% in Monten.

Average water-body volume: 2.6 billion m³

Total surface water abstractions (estimated where not measured)

Current quantities are negligable.
But in the future Lake Skadar is planned for water supply of the Adriatic coast with estimated quantities at 2,250 l/s

Total groundwater abstractions (estimated where not measured)

1,500 l/s

> 100 l/sec

Surface and groundwater quality (in general categories only)

The water quality of lake Skadar is classified for the A2, C, II class (referring to the water quality regulations of the Republic of Monte-negro). In 2002, the water quality complied with the above mentioned standard, except in the region of Plavnica where ammonia, iron and PAHs exceed it.

The lake water is relatively saturated with dissolved O₂; the values of ammonia and nitrates have the tendence to decrease; the P values vary from 0.012 – 0.018 mg/l

Water uses (total, by sector, principal uses, current (estimated) and future (projected), include in-stream uses (fisheries, etc.) where appropriate)

For water supply, recreation and fishery. For exact data refer to previous cells.

Fisheries, ecotourism, agriculture, hydroenergy

Deficits and other resource concerns (e.g. quality, extremes, environmental degradation)

Pollution from human activities, wastewater, urban and industrial wastes, the use of chemi-cals in agriculture etc.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROPERTIES

Sensitive ecosystems, biodiversity and environmental impacts in the basin

Besides being rich in aquatic and terrestrial flora and fauna, this lake is noted for Acipenser Sturio and Pelicanus Crispus, both endangered species in the Mediterranean zone.

3. BASELINE INFORMATION AVAILABILITY

SERBIA & MONTENEGRO

ALBANIA

Observation networks

5 gauging stations on the banks of the Lake (Plavnica, Karuc, Fraskanjel, Rec, Ckla).
Tributaries: 6 gauging stations (rivers Zeta, Moraca, creek Crnojevica)

6 water quality-monitoring points are located along the lake and the tributaries.

Maps, with available scales, GIS and remote sensing imagery

Water & Weather Bureau of the Republic of Montenegro: http://www.meteo.cg.yu/

Watersheds Map 1: 800,000
Geologic-Engineering map of Albania 1:200,000
Hydrological map 1:100,000

Data archives and their adequacy

Data are not publicly available but accessible in Water & Weather Bureau of the Republic of Montenegro.

• Water quality data measurements date back some 30 years.
• Data are not publicly available but accessible via national agencies.

Research centres

Water & Weather Bureau of the Republic of Montenegro, Podgorica

National river-monitoring network of the Hydrometeorological Institute.

NAME AND CONTACT DETAILS OF PERSON(S) COMPLETING THIS FORM

Prof. Dejan Ljubisavljevic
Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Belgrade
Bulevar kralja Aleksandra 73
11000 Beograd
Serbia and Montenegro
tel: (381) 11 32 18 558
e-mail: ljubisav@grf.bg.ac.yu

M.Sc. Manjola Banja Harja, Deputy Director
Hydrometeorological Institute, Tirana
Street e Durresit, No. 219, Tirana, Albania
Tel:       (+355)(4) 259 360 / 22 35 18
Fax:      (+355)(4) 22 35 18
e-mail:  mbanja2002@yahoo.com
M.Sc. Emirjeta Adhami
Hydrometeor. Institute, Dep. of Environment
Tel:       (+355)(4) 22 35 18 / 22 24 39
E-mail   thadhami@icc-al.org
Dr. Miriam Ndini, Hydrometeor. Institute
Department of Hydrology, Groundwater Section
Tel/ Fax : + 355 4 22 35 18
e-mail: mbogdani@hotmail.com

Serbia & Montenegro

Albania

4. MANAGEMENT SETTING
4.1. International agreements / conventions and national legislation

"Agreement between the Government of the People’s Republic of Yugoslavia and the Government of the People’s Republic of Albania" was signed in 1955 but is not in use since 1986.
The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, and Albania have no bilateral agreement.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation on environment protection and sustainable development between between the Ministry of Environment of Albania and the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning of the Republic of Montenegro (2003) covers some water-related problems (Skadar lake, etc.).
Also, both sides signed a Protocol of Cooperation on Water Management in October 2001.
Under the Ramsar convention from 1996, Skadar lake was included into the world list of globally important wetlands..

Relevant International Agreements in ratification process in S&M:
- Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
- UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa (CCD)
- Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity
- Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (text prepared, ongoing negotiations)
- Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats
- Convention on Environmental Impact Assess-ment in a Transboundary Context
- Convention on Transboundary Effects of Indus-trial Accidents
- Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision -Making,and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters
-Convention on Civil Liability for Damage Resulting from Activities Dangerous to the Environment

Convention on the Protection and Use of transboundary rivers and lakes, Helsinki [1992]

National legislation and documents:

• Decision of Ministers' Council for pollution control (1974)
• Law for Environment Protection (1993, rev. 2002)
• Law for Resources Manage-ment (1996; revised In 2000)
• Law for the Protection of Transboundary Lakes (lakes Ohrid, Prespa and Shkodra; 2003)
• National Water Strategy (2004)

4.2. Institutions / distribution of responsibilities

On the level of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, there is no body responsible for transboundary water resources management.
In Montenegro, responsibility for Moraca river and Skadar lake is with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management - section for water management.

The responsible institutions are:

• National Water Council (headed by the Prime Minister; includes Ministries for Tourism, Foreign Affairs, Energy, Agriculture, Health and Environment plus Academy of Sciences and the Technical Secretariat for Water)
• Sub-ordinated are 6 river River Basin Councils (managed by the related Prefectures) with Water Agencies as executive bodies
• For all transboundary waters, a government commission established specific sub-commissions for the neighboring countries.
• The Hydrometeorological Institute monitors all surface waters (quality and quantity)
• The Environmental Inspectorates control overall environment protection of waters and air
• Public Health Institutes monitor drinking water.

4.3. Planning / Decision making processes

For the time being, there is no master plan for the Moraca river basin. The Water Resources Master Plan of Montenegro (2002) covers the Moraca river basin, but not in detail.
Common planning and decision-making in the basin is poor, although considerable efforts on problem definition are undertaken by the relevant national institutions.
                          

The National Water Council organizes and decides on all water management issues. It can take specific initiatives (e.g. in 2004 to assess impacts of gravel excavation).
The sub-ordinated River Basin Councils decide on the regional water use (allocation and tariffs).
The complex water problems are partly not clearly sorted out in the new laws (overlapping of tasks).
For transboundary waters, no bilateral meeting was held yet due to the delay of the respective Agreement with Montenegro (signed in 2003).
IUCN pre-agreed at a regional conference in Belgrade (June 2004) with the ALB government the creation of a biosphere reserve to protect lake Shkodra, Buna river and Viluni lagoon..

4.4. Finances

The Montenegrin Government approved in 2003 an agreement regarding joint water management that will result in projects on Skadar Lake and Buna river.

Up to now financial resources have been mobilized on conservation measures and monitoring activities. The major financial resources are:

• World Bank, from 2005
• German Government,
• Swiss Government, since 2000

Serbia & Montenegro

Albania

4.5. Past and present major projects (including listing of donor interests)

The first contacts in environment field were made in December 1999 between the “Association for the Protection and Preservation of the Environment”, a local NGO in Shkodra and the Skadar Lake National Park administration in Montenegro. The OSCE also helped to create a joint commission focusing on monitoring organic pollution, but apparently this initiative did not last.
The discussed construction of the Bushat hydropower plant on the Albanian side of Drin river is an important example illustrating the different cross-border coalitions that were created in favor and against this initiative. Faced by a severe energy crisis the ALB government, with the support of foreign donors such China and a World Bank, decided to revive the old project of building the Bushat hydropower dam on Drin River. However, the projects causes concerns about its negative ecological impact on Shkodra Lake and the surrounding areas since it would also change the water table and the course of the river flow. The environmentalists on both sides of the border are against the project causing significant environmental damage especially on Albanian side. The construction of the hydropower would be very difficult if the Montenegrin government would oppose it. However the Montenegrin government supports the project because by lowering the water level in Shkodra Lake the Montenegrin side would gain 14,000 hectares of arable land. Montenegro had expressed its interest in lowering the water level in the Lake since the late 1990s (by digging the bottom of the river flowing out from lake, which according to some specialist is higher from it should be). However, the conflict of interest between the water and environmental sector affected international donors interested to finance the project.

The Montenegrin government in the late 1990s issued a tender document for building a Moraca River Hydropower System. This project was also stopped due to small interest of intl. donors. Also, in Master Water Plan of Montenegro, it is stated that there is possibility of water transfer from Tara river to Moraca river. The design documents about this problem are still in a preparatory phase.
A major water supply project that includes transfer of water from Skadar Lake to the coastal area of Montenegro is still not finished, and there is still no agreement about location of the water source. The Public Enterprise for Water Supply, Wastewater Treatment and Solid Waste Disposal (Crnogorsko Primorje PEW) has entered into a consortium (Monte-Aqua) with private partners selected through international competitive bidding to rehabilitate, upgrade, extend and manage the water supply and sanitation services of the area under its responsibility. Phase I of this program started in January 2001, with funds from the German Government (about USD 7.3 million) for technical assistance and urgent investments in rehabilitation and improved operation. Six of the seven coastal municipalities have signed letters of intent to participate in the program according to the concept of public/private ownership.

4.6. Stakeholder Participation

NGOs are very active both in Montenegro and Albania. The REC office has been very helpful in providing a wide range of support to different local actors. The REC has also been instrumental in organizing bilateral meetings between the ALB National Agency of Environ-ment and Montenegrin Ministry of Environment.

The biggest stakeholders in the region are the prefecture, the municipalities, the regional environmental inspectorate, the university of Shkodra, and NGOs.

4.7. Awareness / Communication

Environmental NGOs have an important role in raising awareness.
It is important to implement the recommenda-tions of the EU-WFD in the Montenegrin water legislation.

In particular the REC project has much increased the environmental awareness and communication in this region but it is still very low.

Serbia & Montenegro

Albania

5. CONCLUSIONS / RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1. Identification of critical problems (transboundary situation)
- problems related to the resource
-problems associated to uses, needs and demands
- problems affecting ecosystems

The most critical problems are:

• Protection of lake Skadar (RAMSAR site)
• Water power utilization both in Albania and Montenegro, especially possible water transfer from Tara river to Moraca river

The littoral zone of the lake receives direct impacts by the population living along the shoreline, i.e. illegal constructions (partly tourism-related), multiple disposal of solid waste and discharge of sewage (Shkodra: 150,000 people) due to a bad functioning of the sewage system (this is to be addressed by the WB/GEF project).
A pending threat is the building of a new hydropower plant Bushat on Drin river near Shkodra (upstream the mouth of Buna river from the lake) which is supported by the Chinese government but does not find a majority among local politicians, scientists and people.

5.2. Main achievements

Cooperation between Montenegrin and Albanian governments regarding water and environmental issues is much improved.

• Bilateral stakeholder cooperation in the Lake Shkodra Forum
• established monitoring stations
• increased environment education and public awareness

5.3. Key challenges

Hydropower utilization of Moraca river (water transfer from the Black Sea river basin to the Adriatic river basin) and harmonisation of hydropower utilization with environmental issues.

• Stop the environmental pollution into the lake (se-wage and solid waste) and the illegal constructions
• Develop comprehensive protection of the lake and its connected habitats (shores, reed beds, mountain slopes)
• Further increase public awareness about threats to the lake and mobilize public activities in pilot projects.
• Legally endorse and politically strengthen joint lake management by key stakeholders
• Secure priority investments on environment protection that will attract both bilateral and private investments.

5.4. Donor interests

Tara-Moraca Hydropower System could be very interesting for donors but environmental aspects and the need for an agreement with Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina for water transfer from the Black Sea river basin to the Adriatic river basin is affecting this project.
Water supply of the coastal area of Montenegro is also a very interesting project, but foreign donors did not yet express interest in investing into a water transfer from an inland area to a coastal area.

Overall ability to mobilize domestic and private capital is not at the level desired. The government and local stakeholders are open for support and institutional development

5.5. Recommended priority actions

• Harmonize Montenegrin water and environment legislation with EU legislation.
• Reach agreement for water uses (electric power, water supply, water quality control, and irrigation).
• Preserve protected areas (lake Skadar)
• Further investigate the basin (hydrogeology, limnology, hydrology, biology)

• Stop illegal constructions along the shoreline
• Sewage management at the city
• Water monitoring of the lake
• Capacity building
• Raise awareness

6. MAIN REFERENCES, BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS

Data from Water Resources Master Plan of Montenegro, Internet, REC, The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank Report and private sources.

Regional Environmental Centre, Shkodra Office:
“Roles and responsibilities of different stakeholder for Shkodra Lake“, May 2004
Ministry of Environment: “Environment Law Acts in Albania 2002-2003”, Vol.3, Prepared by REC with the support of SOROS Foundation, 2003
University of Shkodra “Luigj Gurakuqi”