The water crisis in Bulgaria is deepening with each passing day, with over 200,000 people already without regular water supply. Experts warn that in the absence of rainfall, the number of affected people could reach half a million by the end of the summer.
A ban on the use of drinking water for watering and washing cars was introduced in the municipality of Simeonovgrad due to the falling level of the Maritsa River. "With each passing day, the level of the Maritsa River is falling. This means that the level of the wells from which the city is supplied with water is also falling. This requires economy if we do not want to have a water regime," said Zhivko Chakarov, deputy mayor of Simeonovgrad.
The problem also affects small settlements, such as the Razgrad village of Yasenovets, where there is no water at all in the upper part for most of the day. "The problem is not only with the catchment, water is already scarce at the national level. But we are also late with the repairs of the water supply. 70% of the water is lost along the route," explained Reyhan Hussein, mayor of the village.
According to experts, the problem is not rooted only in natural factors. "There is undoubtedly climate change, not that such droughts did not occur a hundred years ago. But the bigger problem in recent years is the extremely poor water management in our country," said Dimitar Kumanov from the "Balkanka" association.
Kumanov criticized the fragmentation in governance, where different ministries are responsible for different aspects of water policy. "The Ministry of Environment and Water, of Regional Development, which is responsible for drinking water, of Agriculture, which is responsible for irrigation, of Energy. Many grandmothers are raising a weak child," he emphasized.
According to Georgi Stefanov from WWF, the problem is exacerbated by climate change. "It has hardly rained for 40-50 days. This is the problem with climate change. In the last 30 years, there has been 50% less precipitation compared to the 30-year period before that," he explained.
Despite the crisis in many regions, experts note that some dams remain full. "Iskar" Dam is very full and has water for Sofia for three years, even if not a drop falls. The "Srechenska Bara" dam is also full to the top and almost overflowing, providing water for Vratsa and Montana.
There is good news for the Black Sea coast with the commissioning of the "Yasna Polyana" dam treatment plant, which supplies water to part of the Burgas region. The bad news is that the "Kamchia" dam, used for Burgas and Varna, is less full.
"Poor management of the water sector is one of the main reasons that 200,000 people currently have no water," Stefanov stressed. Last year, the number of people without water during the summer reached 400,000, and the forecast for this year is that over half a million will experience water shortages if it does not rain immediately.