The World Water Week (23 August- 1 September, 2022) started in Bulgaria… with tons of water falling from the heavens. A partial state of emergency was declared in the town of Karlovo over the torrential rain in the region which flooded a number of homes and public buildings. Some hours later, heavy rain and a thunderstorm pummeled Stara Zagora as well.

• Iskretska River supplying water to town of Svoge returns to its bed
  

Extreme phenomena such as this are no exception to Europe either. The Danube River is at a record low, with the water levels measured in its Bulgarian section just one centimeter above an 80-year record. The droughts are the result of the record-high temperatures this summer in Central and Western Europe, with mercury hitting over 40° C. even in the UK and Northern Germany.

“Climate change and its consequences are, very obviously, not a myth. Nature is teaching us a lesson, not just in Bulgaria but all around the world,” engineer Ivan Ivanov, chairman of the Bulgarian Water Association says in an interview with Radio Bulgaria. In his words, such records of nature are nothing new in our history, but it is due to climate change in past decades that we are now living in constant danger of either droughts or flooding. Engineer Ivanov says that in the past few years, intense efforts have been put into developing what are known as flood risk management plans, river basin management plans in Bulgaria, but whether they are being applied adequately is not at all clear:

“My own observations are that in Bulgaria, we need more focused work on implementing the measures set down in these documents. They are drawn up assiduously, under the supervision of the European Commission, which requires that they be developed in the first place, but then they remain on paper, and none of the measures that should be implemented are put in place. The usual excuse is lack of money, but if there is no money that means the funding has not been budgeted for, and the measures in question have not been prioritized,” engineer Ivanov says. “There is no coordination department to manage the country’s water and water resource and its utilization in the most adequate and rational way.”

According to the latest report of the Executive Environment Agency for 2020, Bulgaria’s renewable water resources total 79,877 million cubic metres of water, the lowest amounts recorded in five years. And even though the country is second in Europe, after Spain, in the number of mineral springs on its territory, many of them have not been serviceable for years and, in practice, play absolutely no role in the water balance. 

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“Whatever the case, I would say there are sufficient water resources. It should not be forgotten that besides household consumption, they are also used for irrigation, in the light and the heavy industry, and the food industry. And we have to be really good at managing this natural resource to make sure the country’s entire economy does not take a hit. Are we doing that – I think not. The very fact that the average losses in the water supply network amount to 60% (or 492.46 million cubic metres for 2020, according to data of the National Statistical Institute) is proof of our negligent behavior. We have been looking for excuses – the old pipelines, the numerous leaks – but that is something we have been talking about for 15 years and there is no progress, no change. We make excuses, saying there is no money, but as it turns out, there is money. But this money is either not utilized on time, within the period set down for the purpose, or it is not utilized rationally.  I shall give as an example newly built facilities, which function worse than the old facilities do. And that is swept under the rug, no one is held accountable, no conclusions are drawn.”

The average per capita water consumption in Bulgaria is within average European norms - according to National Statistical Institute data around 102 litres a day for 2020, and 99 litres a day for 2019. What this means, in practical terms, is that household consumption is not part of the problem.

• Water in Bulgaria – harder and harder to come by, but at a higher price
  

Ivan Ivanov is adamant that the water losses in the water supply network and irrigation facilities are at the root of the water crises and the water use restrictions for household consumers in the country.

“The infrastructure in the country is very old and in dire condition because through the years there has been no planned renovation of the facilities. The measures taken have been reactive, that is what we are still doing, and that puts us at serious risk,” engineer Ivan Ivanov explains.

All this is affecting the finances of each and every person in Bulgaria. As of 1 August, the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission announced the latest rise in the prices of one cubic metre of water in several towns. Once again – good intentions in words only. And, lastly, we should not forget engineer Ivanov’s words that it is difficult to “manage” nature, so what we need to do is prepare for its surprises and minimize the toll in human lives, and, to some degree, material loss.

Photos: pixabay, Victoria Topalska, bwa-bg.com