The most urgent step to manage the water crisis in Bulgaria is to stop the leaks in the water transmission system, which are currently huge. If 20% of them were corrected, 80% of the losses would be prevented. The main reason for this urgency is that our country is in first place in the European Union in water losses – over 60%, with some regions losing more water than we consume, and the huge damages are paid entirely from the bills and taxes of ordinary people. Water management in our country is extremely irrational and this must also change as soon as possible. Therefore, the other two urgent measures against water scarcity are coordination in management, as well as finding alternative sources of water.
These conclusions were made by water experts: Prof. Emil Gachev – Head of the “Waters” Section at the Institute for Climate, Atmosphere and Water Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Borislav Sandov, former Deputy Prime Minister for Climate Policy and Minister of Environment and Water (2021-2022). On Tuesday, July 15, the two presented the current situation and the most serious problems related to water scarcity in the country. They also outlined the necessary urgent measures and solutions to overcome the water crisis at a press conference on the topic: “Bulgaria is running dry: Not only water is running out, but also time for action”, organized by the Klimateka platform.
The overall picture of water scarcity
As of today, the water scarcity crisis is deepening and covering more and more people and settlements in Bulgaria, both experts warn. The problems are along the entire water supply chain.
A well-known myth is that Bulgaria is rich in water resources. But this is not at all the case, because 85% of the fresh water resource is provided by the Danube River, whose water is not suitable for drinking and domestic needs, and its runoff does not belong only to Bulgaria. Thus, to satisfy basic needs (including drinking), we can only rely on those 16 billion M3., which are formed on the territory of the country as a result of the balance between precipitation and evaporation.
Dams: with 61% of their useful volume, in places – by only 20-25%
As of July 14, the country's dams are full at an average of 61% of their useful volume, with the most serious deficit being shown by the reservoirs in Northwestern Bulgaria, which are only 20-25% of the useful volume. The dams located in the mountainous regions of Southwestern and Southern Bulgaria are in the best condition. Since 2022, a gradual decrease in volumes has been observed. (Fig. 1). In 2024 and 2025, most dams have low levels, with the outflow volume for 2024 being much lower than the average for the last 20 years.