Kosovo* is surrounded by mountains, which divide the plains into four watershed areas, from where rivers flow to three seas: the Adriatic, the Aegean, and the Black Sea. The water quality of streams and rivers has deteriorated over the years that are heavily polluted, including because of the direct discharge of untreated wastewater and the indiscriminate disposal of solid waste. The rivers downstream of larger municipalities and especially downstream of Pristina are so heavily polluted that the water cannot be used for water supplies and, in some places, not even for irrigation. Remedial actions are therefore urgent.
This project concerns wastewater treatment solutions for the following cities and towns:
- Pristina (more than 400,000 people) has old inadequate wastewater collectors and no wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). The wastewater is discharged into the Ibar River tributaries, which then flows into Serbia and into the Danube.
- Ferizaj (65,000 people) has almost no wastewater collection and no treatment infrastructure. The untreated wastewater is discharged into a tributary of the Ibar. Wastewater also finds its way south, into the Lepenc River, which then flows into North Republic of Macedonia and the Aegean Sea.
The WBIF grant contributed to the preparation of feasibility studies for all municipalities, including a list of priority investments. The studies were completed by Infrastructure Facility 1 in March 2015.
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
