Trebisnjica River Sub-basin

1.	GENERAL INFORMATION	TREBISNJICA RIVER (sub-basin shared by Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina)
This sub-basin of 4,926 km² is located in the south-east of the Republic of Srpska, i.e. eastern Herzegovina. Trebisnjica river takes rise in form of a strong Karst source near Bileca town (330 m asl.) and flows first south, then north-west at Trebinje town (30,000 inhabitants) and along the Dinaric coast mountains. According to natural conditions starting at Trebinje, Trebisnjica river water drains into the underground. At high water, however, the capacity of the abyss is insufficient, and the river flow extends up to the end of Popovo polje, with continuous drainage into the underground. During a flood, when the underground cannot take up all water, an impoundment starts and extending upstream. Part of the water in this river basin drains directly across the Croatian border to the Adriatic Sea. Today, the Trebisnjica river regime is totally changed after the construction of a hydro-energetic system: River waters are kept in Bileca and Trebinje reservoirs, from where significant part of the waters go to the Adriatic Sea by a tunnel (capacity: 90 m3/sec) up to the hydropower plant of the coastal town of Dubrovnik (44,000 inhabitants; located outside of the sub-basin) in Croatia. The other part of the reservoir waters and additional inflow are directed downstream to the hydropower plant Capljina (located on Bosnian side). While Trebinje has a wastewater treatment plant, other smaller settlements discharge their wastewater directly into the river.

Croatia	Bosnia and Herzegovina
1.1. Geographical properties
Longitude/latitude at downstream river outlet
River Ombla: Komolac 42,67N 18,13E	Sinkhole->Neretva, X 6487475.712, Y 4752962.862
Size of basin
About 600 km² (partly overlapping with Neretva river basin)	4,326 km²
Length and width in km
100 km / 6 km	77 / 71 km
Topography, including altitude range in m
Very steep terrain with mountain altitude ranging from 400 – 1,000 m o.s.l.	232 to 500 m a.s.l.
Geology
Very porous karst	Limestones
Rainfall, average annual and seasonal distribution, etc.
1,000 – 1,300 mm/y, spring, and winter maxima, with often summer droughts Climate: Mediterranean	1,600-1,900 mm/y
River(s), with lengths and average annual flows and seasonal distribution - flood and drought incidence and impact
• In Croatia waters from Trebisnjica watershed appears as a big karst spring (5 km west of Dubrovnik) forming river OMBLA which flows only 50 m to a 4 km deep and narrow bay called Rijeka dubrovacka. • Water from the Bileca reservoir in B&H is diverted by an artificial tunnel to Dubrovnik hydroelectric power plant at the Plat village west from the city • Ombla Qavg = 24 m³/s • HEPP Dubrovnik Qinst = 90 m³/s	Total length of surface watercourses (including all longer than 10 km) in the Neretva and Trebisnjica watershed in BIH is 887 km
1.2. Demographic properties
General location of the basin
Southern part of Croatia's Adriatic coast. Dubrovacko – neretvanska county.	• Trebišnjica river basin lies in the south-east of Republic of Srpska, i.e. eastern Herzegovina. • Trebisnjica River takes rise in form of strong Karst source near Bileca town (330 m a.s.l.) and flows first south then north-west at Trebinje town (30,000 inhabitants) and along the Dinaric Coast Mountains. • According to natural conditions starting at Trebinje, Trebisnjica river water drains into the underground
Total population in basin
About 80,000 including all coastal settlements	There is no exact data
Population of principal cities or towns
Dubrovnik 46,800 Konavle 9,100 Zupa dubrovacka 6,500 Orebic 3,900	Trebinje: 30,000 (estimation)
Average per capita income
NA	US $ 1,800 (est. 2001)
Industrial and agricultural GDP (Gross Domestic Product)
2,850 $/inh	1,263 USD (estimation 2001)
Population living below the poverty line
5 %	Ca. 20%
Other relevant characteristics
Population is oriented to tourism and agriculture. Mountain settlements are highly depopulated.	Agriculture
1.3 LAND USES
Mountains: 75 % Forest (typical Mediterranean): 60 % Wetlands: 1 % Pasture: 10 % Agriculture: 29 % Irrigated lands (% of agriculture): 10%	The main land uses includes dry and irrigated agriculture.
Croatia	Bosnia and Herzegovina
2. WATER RESOURCES / USES AND ENVIRONMENT SITUATION
Total available surface and groundwater resources
Surface water: NA (mainly for irrigation) Underground water: 9,5 m³/s	19 selected groundwater sources yield min.dQ5: 9,085 l/s (in total, Neretva and Trebisnjica watersheds together)
Net usable capacity of surface reservoirs
NA	1,300 M m³
Total surface water abstractions (estimated where not measured)
NA (mainly for irrigation)	1.5 m³/s for irrigation
Total groundwater abstractions (estimated where not measured)
1,800 l/s	N/A
Surface and groundwater quality (in general categories only)
Surface water quality I Underground water quality I	Surface water quality I Underground water quality I
Water uses (total, by sector, principal uses, current (estimated) and future (projected), include in-stream uses (fisheries, etc.) where appropriate)
Water supply: 1,800 l/s	Hydro-energetic system: River waters are kept in Bileca and Trebinje reservoirs, from where significant part of the waters go to the Adriatic Sea by a tunnel (capacity: 90 m3/sec) up to the hydropower plant of Dubrovnik. Part of the reservoir waters and additional inflow are directed downstream to the hydropower plant Capljina.
Deficits and other resource concerns (e.g. quality, extremes, environmental degradation)
Problems with inadequate solid waste disposal in the back of Dubrovnik.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROPERTIES
Sensitive ecosystems, biodiversity and environmental impacts in the basin
Possible risks from the planned hydropower plant construction on river Ombla.	• During a flood, when the underground can-not take up all water, an impoundment starts and extending upstream. Part of the water in this river basin drains directly across the Croatian border to the Adriatic Sea. • While Trebinje has a wastewater treatment plant, other smaller settlements discharge their wastewater directly into the river.
3. BASELINE INFORMATION AVAILABILITY
Observation networks
National monitoring network of surface water quality National hydrological network	• Federal Meteorological Institute implements monitoring on the territory of FB&H, while the Hydro-meteorological Institute of does that in the Republic of Srpska. • Public companies for Watershed Areas organize monitoring of water courses regime
Maps, with available scales, GIS and remote sensing imagery
No remote sensing imagery	To be acquired by the on-going project “Integrated ecosystem management of Neretva and Trebisnjica River basin” (by May 2005)
Data archives and their adequacy
Poor data archives	• Unclearness in legal articles, institutional, human resources and financial problems in the sector resulted, among others, in insufficiently developed, non-harmonized and non-systematic monitoring • BiH sent data on river water quality in the year 2000 to EUROWATERNET (ETC/W) for the first time at the end of 2001 (36 monitoring stations) • Information on physical characteristics and on the State/Quality of Water of Trebinjica River (station: Trebinie).
Research centres
• Croatian Waters' research laboratory • Other contracted scientific institutions in HR	• Federal Meteorological Institute • Hydro-meteorological Institute of Republic of Srpska • Public companies for Watershed Areas
NAME AND CONTACT DETAILS OF PERSON(S) COMPLETING THIS FORM
Prof.dr.sc. Davor Malus 10000 Zagreb Croatia mail:malus@grad.hr	Prof. Tarik Kupusovic Hydro-engineering Institute Sarajevo Stjepana Tomica 1, 71 000 Sarajevo, BIH Tel/fax:+ 387 33 207 949 E-mail: tarik.kupusovic@heis.com.ba heis@heis.com.ba; URL: www.heis.com.ba

Croatia	Bosnia and Herzegovina
4. MANAGEMENT SETTING
4.1. International agreements / conventions and national legislation
"Agreement between the Governments of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina on Water Management Issues" is the basic agreement (1996). It was signed by the Federation administration; Republic of Srpska did not ratify the agreement so it is not fully in power. Principal focus themes are: • Hydro power utilization • Overlapping with Neretva River basin • Water supply. Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution. In 1993 BiH became the member of the Mediterranean Action Plan. Arrangements in water supply (with Montenegro) and energy production (with B&H) exist from former Yugoslavia.
4.2. Institutions / distribution of responsibilities
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management with the State Water Directorate and Croatian Waters are the institutions responsible for river basin management. On the local level there are county and town departments for water management.	In both the Federation of BiH and RS the agency with primary responsibility for the water sector is within their respective Ministry of Agriculture, Water management and Forestry (MoAWF). Within MoAWF, each entity has a Department of Water Management (in RS it is the Directorate for Water) responsible for the water strategy and policy, the issueing of agreements and permits, setting of standards and regulations; ensuring compliance with laws and regulations through licensing and inspections; and overall control of Public Companies for Watershed Areas.
4.3. Planning / Decision making processes
Common planning and decision-making in the basin is poor.
For the time being a master plan does not exist. Arrangements in water supplying (with Montenegro) and energy production (with B&H) exist from former Yugoslavia	Under the Water law (1998), in the Federation of BiH the MoAWF delegates the main responsibility of preparation of strategic decision and planning to two Public Companies of Watershed Areas, one for the River Sava and the other the Adriatic Sea. Republic of Srpska has only single authority in charge for both main river basin districts. The new Law on Water Protection, based on EU WFD, calls for a river basin approach in water administration and establishes new bodies responsible for water protection based on river basins.
4.4. Finances
Any investment policies do not exist nor the management plans that policies would follow.	According to the Water Law (1998), Article 168, financing of water management is based on the following principles: • Resources for financing water management are provided from general water fees, special water management fees, fees from concessions and funds provided by special law, as well as from other resources defined by this law; • General water fees; special water management fees and fees from concessions are to be used for all beneficiaries on the territory of the Federation and/or main watershed areas, unless otherwise defined.
4.5. Past and present major projects (including listing of donors’ interest)
Most of the projects are connected to the Neretva river basin and the impacts on it.	EC (CARDS 2002) - Development of a national environmental monitoring system – started in September 2003 World Bank/GEF – Integrated management of Neretva and Trebišnjica River Basins (expected to start in 2005).
4.6. Stakeholder Participation
Stakeholder participation in Trebisnjica river basin is rather poor. The most powerful group is HEP (Croatia's electro distribution).	Stakeholder participation in Trebišnjica river basin is rather poor. Civil sector is still developing in BiH, but the NGO sector is a very active player in the environmental sector.
4.7. Awareness / Communication
The most crucial actions in the watershed were undertaken in former Yugoslavia and ignored the public opinion. Today more signals are coming from the Neretva basin, than from the surroundings of Dubrovnik. At this moment, national TV has the most positive role in awareness – raising and edu-cation with different contributions from journalists specialized in the field of environmental problems and also documentary (scientific) program (domestic and foreign).	Bosnia and Herzegovina has not signed the Aarhus Convention, but the Entities have laws on access-to-information, as one way for its implementation. At this moment the most positive role in awareness – raising and education is with different local and mass media.
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
Croatia	Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Trebisnjica hydropower system has the biggest influence in the basin. Impacts are felt in the HR part of the watershed. Today's attention is set on the upper part of the basin, while in Croatia the major threats are related to possible changes in the Neretva river hydrology. The most critical problems are: • Construction of the hydro-electric power plant on Ombla river • Inadequate waste disposal in the Dubrovnik area • Change of underground water quality and quantity.	The most critical problems are: • Wastewater generated by 90% of the population is discharged directly without any treatment into the closest water bodies or into karstic holes, which are connected to groundwater; • Water supply systems cannot meet the needs of the consumers during the dry season due to a combination of inadequate availability of water resources and inadequate capacity of the infrastructure; • Dumping sites where the waste is disposed are mostly placed near the river, and in most cases are used without special protective measures; • Thermoelectric plant Gacko.
5.2. Main achievements
No signs of improvements compared to the situation during former Yugoslavia.	The current reforms of the Water Sector in B&H. Project entitled "River Basin Management Program", launched in November 2003, and to be finished in 2005.
5.3. Key challenges
Start projects with B&H side. Environmental research in the basin (all components). Realization of RBMP Capacity building Involvement of local community Mobilization of all kinds of capital for suitable economic projects. Building strategy for stakeholder participation	Establishment of a River Basin management approach Drafting secondary legislation Training of Staff of River Authorities Drafting an appropriate financing model Public participation strategy of River Auth.s for policy formulation, approval of policy documents and plans, implementation and monitoring Introduction of GIS Mapping of water bodies Developing internet page dedicated for each river basin
5.4. Donor interests
Overall ability to mobilize domestic and private capital and ODA is poor, because the general strategy for RB development and management is missing.	Donor interests will largely depend on concrete results obtained through water sector reforms in BiH
5.5. Recommended priority actions
Make an agreement on water uses (el. power, water supply, and irrigation). Preserve protected areas. Investigate the basin (hydrogeology, hydrology, biology, non-point pollution sources).	Preparation of primary and secondary water-sector legislation Establishment of a new organizational set-up of the water sector for the main managerial levels (State, Entity and River Basin) Preparation of public participation programs; Human capacity building Preserve protected areas Investigations in the basin (hydrogeology, hydrology, biology)
6. MAIN REFERENCES, BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS
Data from State Water Directorate, Croatian waters, Internet, REC-Zagreb, private sources.	Data from HEIS documentation, Internet, private sources.