DPM Simović on IPA Water Capacity Building Project: Important step in field of water resources management

Montenegro, Podgorica (21 March 2018)-- The project "Strengthening the Capacity for Implementation of the Water Framework Directive in Montenegro", was presented today in Podgorica, which met 22^nd March- World Water Day. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Milutin Simović assessed, this project represents an important step in areas of water resources management in Montenegro.

It is a project supported by the IPA 2014 pre-accession funds in the amount of EUR 1.9 million implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture in co-operation with the European Commission.

DPM Simović said that the realization of the project will improve water quality standards, improve the current state of water resource information and define models for sustainable water management in line with European Union standards. Minister Simović underlined that water protection and water resources management are a global challenge because water in the 21st century has become the most significant strategic natural resource and a significant condition for the development of every society.

The Deputy Prime Minister reminded of the worrying data on water at the global level, pointing to the importance of preserving this resource in Montenegro, which, in terms of water resources, belongs to the water in the richest areas in the world. DPM Simović said that water potential is one of Montenegro's significant development potential. Montenegro has made a significant step towards aligning with EU legislation in the area of ​​water quality, primarily with the Water Framework Directive. A project aimed at strengthening the capacity for the implementation of this directive is envisaged, as he said, a series of significant activities.

"One of the biggest challenges in water management, as the most significant and comprehensive part of Chapter 27 - Environment, is the preparation of river basin management plans."With this project, by mid-2020 we will have ready-made plans for managing the Adriatic and Danube River basin, which will meet this benchmark in pre-accession negotiations. The river basin management plans will, after adoption by the EC, be the basic documents in Montenegro that will govern the water resources, with the aim of preserving them, "said Simovic.

DPM Simović stressed out that in order to improve the monitoring of the surface waters, the Hydro-meteorological Institute will receive 10 new sophisticated hydrological stations for surface water measurement and will be upgraded to 17 existing stations.

In the field of groundwater monitoring, it is planned to establish new 65 measuring stations. "It was also necessary to prepare the project of exploratory hydrogeological works in order to determine the level of groundwater and their connection with the surface as well as the final establishment of observation stations," explained DPM  Simović, stating that some of the planned locations for the exploratory drilling of the river in Niksić-Banjani, Radovce, Cijevna basin, Vučji Studenac in Danilovgrad, Čevo and many other locations to be elaborated by the Project.

Minister Simović pointed out that the Hydrogeological Research Program, which is for the first time running at this level in Montenegro, will have multiple benefits as a new groundwater monitoring network will be established, continuous monitoring of groundwater quality and quality. Exploration drilling is also being investigated, which will investigate the existence of groundwater, which will facilitate the future of water exploration for water supply, irrigation and others. "It will also be possible to propose future use of water in line with the objectives of the" Good Water Conservation "Directive (bottling, water supply, irrigation and other needs), DPM Simović said. He added that the final component of the Water Information System design project, which will represent a database on water resources.

Head of the EU Delegation in Podgorica, Hermann Spitz, said the best model for a unique water management system - river basin management, are natural geographic and hydrological units, not administrative or political boundaries.

Hermann Spitz  explained that the objective of the Water Framework Directive is to coordinate the application of all water management regulations in order to meet the quality objectives of the European Union. "The implementation of the Framework Directive sets a set of common technical challenges for EU, EC, candidate countries as well as interested parties and NGOs. Additionally, both river basins in Montenegro are international and therefore have a common understanding and access is of crucial importance for the successful and efficient implementation of the Directive in Montenegro, " Hermann Spitz said.

The implementation of the project runs with the planned dynamics and is expected to be realized by March 2020.