Bulgaria covers a total area of about 11 million ha of which 29 percent, 3 245 000 ha, is cultivated area. Total population of the country is 7 593 000 and economically active population in agriculture is about 141 000. Bulgaria has a climate with cold and humid winters and hot, dry summers. While agricultural water withdrawal accounted for 0.143 billion m³, water withdrawal for municipal purposes estimated at 0.32 billion m³ and industrial water withdrawal at 8.21 billion m³. (1) GDP of Bulgaria is about US$ 49 billion in 2009 and share of agriculture in GDP was 6 percent. (2)

 

In Bulgaria, water management fall into three main categories. First category contains the actors representing the public sector which are the Ministries, state companies and the local governments. Second category includes private companies and finally the third category covers national research and academic institutions which are knowledge producers and are playing an important role in policy making and implementation. Water Users Associations are being formed in rural areas regarding the local management of irrigation water, provided by the relevant law introduced in 2001. The main governmental actor in the case of Bulgarian water policy arrangement is the Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW). Apart from the MoEW other important governmental actors relevant to water issues are the Ministry for Regional Development & Public Works (MRDPW), which is the competent authority for the implementation of the EU-PHARE CDC projects, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry for the Natural and Man-made Hazards which is responsible for the civil protection from floods. (3)

 

The state company “Irrigation Systems Ltd”, under the Ministry of Agriculture, controls the infrastructure and use of irrigation water. Due to institutional and economic problems, the irrigated land (and irrigation water volume) is currently considerably less than it was before 1990 during the socialist regime. (4)
 

The water supply and wastewater management services in the cities are run by private companies. According to the requirements from the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, 4 Regional Environment and Water Agencies have been formed, for managing the equivalent water districts. These agencies play an active role in implementing the water management policy issues under the guidance of the MoEW. (5)

 

The Bulgarian Universities, the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH) and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), as knowledge producing actors in the Bulgarian policy arrangement on environment and water, are playing an advisory role in policy making. Additionally, the Bulgarian academic institutions and their hydraulic laboratories, which are non-governmental actors in the Bulgarian policy arrangement, serve in the area of water resources management. (6)

 

Almost all Bulgarian rivers rise in Bulgarian territory and run down to the state borders. The only exemptions are Erma and Dragovishtitza rivers rising in Serbia and Monte Negro, Strumeshnitza river rising in FYR of Macedonia and Rezovska river rising in Turkey. Following rivers form parts of the Bulgarian state borders: the Danube with Romania, the Timok with Serbia and Monte Negro and the Rezovska with Turkey. (7)

 

 

“The Agreement on Maintenance of Boundary Markers” was signed between Turkey and Bulgaria on December 28, 1967. In addition, on October 23, 1968, Turkey and Bulgaria signed “The Agreement on the Cooperation of the Use of the Waters in the Rivers Flowing in the Soils of the Two Countries”. “The Agreeement on Long Term Economic, Technical, Industrial and Scientific Cooperation” was signed between two countries on September 13, 1975. (8)

 

Cooperation agreement on transboundary water issues between Greece and Bulgaria was signed in 1964. In addition to this agreement, two more protocols were signed. According to the agreement, parties must avoid causing damage to each other by the construction of infrastructure, exchange hydrometeorological data and information on floods, and should carry out feasibility studies on joint infrastructure projects, such as dams.

 

Bulgaria would safeguard the annual release of 186×10⁶ m³ of water through the Ivaelogrand dam on River Ardas during the period May-September for the irrigation needs of Greece until 2024. Up to 20% reduction in years of water scarcity (140×10⁶ m³ of water inflow through Ivaelogrand dam) was allowed. In 1971, two countries signed an agreement concerning exchange of hydro-meteorological data and flood events. (9)

 

In 1990, Greece and Bulgaria signed a protocol to establish a Joint Technical Working Group and an Environment Group. Joint Greek-Bulgarian Committee of Experts met in 1991 for the preparation of a common proposal to the EU for the monitoring and control of water quality and quantity of the transboundary rivers Evros, Nestos and Strymonas. In 1992, this committee prepared a minute about 1991 protocol. A new agreement was signed between two countries concerning cooperation for environmental protection with special reference to the cooperation for the transboundary watercourses. (10)

 

 

Greece and Bulgaria are riparians in Nestos/Mesta River. Nestos/Mesta’s upstream is located in Bulgaria and Greece is downstream country of the river. The Nestos/Mesta River pours into the Aegean Sea forming a delta which is a very important wetland area. The first agreement was signed in 1964 for cooperation on utilization of river waters. With the agreement signed in 1975, a committee on the use of river waters and the energy sector was established. In 1988, a committee on Nestos / Mesta River was decided to be set up. With the protocol signed in 1991, an observation network in Bulgaria was decided to be established in order to monitor water quality and quantity in Meriç/Evros, Nestos and Strymon rivers. As of 1994, the Greece-Bulgaria has launched a joint program. Within the context of this program, Meriç/Evros, Strymon, Nestos, Arda and Erithropatamas river projects were decided to be prepared. Both countries ratify international treaties concerning river basins, but have a failure in carrying out these treaties. (11)

 
 

 

 (1) FAO, Country Fact Sheet: Greece, http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/dat
a/factsheets/aquastat_fact_sheet_bgr_en.pdf

(2) op. cit.

(3) Stylianos Skias ve Andreas Kallioras, “ EU Program: ‘Change in Borders’ Project:
“Rivercross” Cross-Border Cooperation on the Flooding Problem of River
Evros/Maritsa/Meric Basin”, Final Report, Greece, www.evroregion.org, 2010.

(4) op. cit.

(5) op. cit.

(6) op. cit.

(7) R. Arsov, “Bulgairan Transboundary Rivers”, http://www.inweb.gr/workshops/papers_surface/BULGARIAN
%20TRANSBOUNDARY%20RIVERS.pdf  

(8) op. cit.

(9) Panagiotis Angelidis, Michalis Kotsikas ve Nikos Kotsovinos, “Management of Upstream Dams and Flood Protection of the Transboundary River Evros/Maritza”, Water Resource Manage, January 13, 2010.

(10) op. cit.