Currently, 60 out of 256 municipalities in the country have a water regime. If comprehensive measures are not taken, they will increase every year and the problems with water scarcity will deepen.
This was highlighted by experts from the information platform "Klimateka" at a media forum attended by experts in water and climate, BNR indicated.
They noted that the human factor related to controlling the losses of water resources and their proper management is more significant than natural features.
Currently, about 100,000 people are experiencing the effects of the limitation or lack of water resources. It is not excluded that by the end of the season, even more people will be affected, the experts commented. And the consequences of the drought and the lack of water are visible on the entire economy, said Prof. Emil Gachev, head of the "Waters" section at the Institute for Climate, Atmosphere and Water Research - BAS:
"Unlike natural disasters, droughts are long-lasting, and the negative effects accumulate, including bad social and health consequences".
Both natural cycles and climate change have an impact on the quantities of water resources. And the manifestations of the latter are increasingly visible, which is why the peculiarities of the Saharan climate that we experience in our country are no longer unusual.
Prof. Gachev also specified that we are observing a permanent decrease in water resources, and although there is relatively close data regarding the amount of precipitation, its distribution throughout the year is uneven - a few torrential downpours, and then - months of drought. This is a problem, especially for small settlements with limited resources and without alternative sources.
According to the latest data (as of July 1), the country's dams are only 63% full on average, with levels falling below 50% in Northwestern and Northeastern Bulgaria, and in places even below 25 percent.
Working piecemeal, without a comprehensive solution led by the state, will not lead to managing the water crisis in our country, which is deepening.
In addition to experiencing a permanent reduction in water resources, Bulgaria is one of the countries in the EU with the fewest water resources, and when we add the losses that are reported from the reservoir to consumers, the problem takes on even more serious dimensions. According to Borislav Sandov - former Deputy Prime Minister for Climate Policy and Minister of Environment and Water (2021-2022), climate and water expert, as well as former Minister of Environment and Water, every second drop is lost in the water transmission network in the country.
In recent years, losses in Sofia have been reduced to 36%, but this is rather an exception.
According to data cited by Sandov, 500 settlements are not included in the water supply network at all. The expert specified that the problems stem mainly from non-compliance with the legislative framework. He called:
"Immediate investments are needed in replacing the outdated water supply network, introducing effective methods for detecting leaks, as well as coordination between institutions".