Micro, Macro & Mezzo Geoinformation (Dec 2017)
Cross-bordercooperation as a mechanism forsustainabledevelopmentofwater resources
Abstract
Water systems are dynamic, complex, do not recognize political boundaries, and it is their nature to overlap borders between political entities and states. Since antiquity, people, even on opposite sides of borders, have been forced to organize the collective exploitation of water resources in order to coordinate trade, communication and irrigation. The evolution of political organizations went hand-in-hand with organizing and rationalizing water system use and minimizing fragmented allocation and management of water resources while developing ever more integrated management of water resources. Over the last thirty years, integrated water management has become an important element of transnational, integrated management of water resources. This paper presents the political and natural conditions that prevail in the question of trans-border water management between the Republic of Kosovo and bordering states. The purpose of this paper is to explore the national and international challenges associated with transnational water system management, and analyse the legal foundations, local, national and international administrative structures, cooperation between states, and coordinated efforts made by state actors to meet these challenges. The Republic of Kosovo is located in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula, bordering with Albania (112km), Macedonia (161 km), Serbia (352 km) and Montenegro (77 km). It has an area of 10.907 km2, with 1,739,825 inhabitants. The catchment area is 11.645 km2, which of 6.5% is bigger than the administrative political space. About 95% of the water springs are inside Kosovo and only 5% come from neighbouring countries. Waters within the Kosovo territory are divided into five river basins; Drin i Bardhë, Ibri, Morava e Binçes, Lepenci and Plava, who discharge the water into three seas: the Adriatic Sea, the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea. The management of Water Resources in the Republic of Kosovo is based on the concept of integrated management as defined in the Water Law and Water Framework Directive 2000/60 of the European Commission. Cooperation with neighbouring states to coordinate water management is in line with the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, the Law on International Agreements, Kosovo Water Law, Memorandums of Understanding, Conventions, Protocols and other international norms. The institutional structure is represented by the civil society institutions at the national and local levels.
