Environmental Security
Session
Security Studies
Description
From 2015 to 2018 Cape Town, South Africa, experienced a prolonged drought bringing the city close to ‘Day Zero’, a tipping-point when municipal water supplies would fall below critical and residential water service would be cut. Through implementing extensive measures this was averted, however, it did highlight many disparities between rich and poor. The UN warns that in 15 years, by 2040, about 40% of people worldwide may face severe water scarcity. Could Kosovo and the rest of the Western Balkans face ‘Day Zero’? Leakages or water technical losses in the Western Balkans through the distribution network is high, mainly due to ageing infrastructure, lack of investments, urbanization and population growth and migrations. In March 2022 Albania’s state power utility halted 11 of 13 electricity turbines at hydropower plants due to scarcity of water. Albania covered the cost of importing power from the state budget, reportedly injecting around 550 million Euros to cover imported electricity. Bosnia and Herzegovina is well-documented for serious environmental waterway concerns and a report stated the city of Sarajevo loses up to 80% of drinking water supplies due to neglected infrastructure and mismanagement. The Regulatory Water Authority in Pristina, Kosovo, stated that clean water leaked throughout the distribution system cannot be measured but is approximated through non-revenue water. This is the amount of water billed to the amount of water supplied. In 2021 non-revenue water was calculated to 58% in Pristina alone. This equated to 575 litres lost per person per day in the capital. An Olympic size swimming pool holds around 2,500 m3 of water. The equivalent of 9,600 Olympic sized swimming pools is lost per year, just in Pristina. For the entirety of Kosovo in 2021 the approximated calculation of non-revenue water was 86.1 million m³, the equivalent of 34,440 Olympic sized swimming pools. This is water collected, processed and pumped into the distribution chain without ever reaching end-users. Using these figures as comparisons, if research, investment and innovation reduced water loss in Pristina alone by just 25% this would be an annual financial cost saving of €2.7 million. Multiply this with other cities in Kosovo and the Western Balkans and the rewards are staggering. It needs to be recognized and actioned that water is a shrinking asset to be future-proofed.
Keywords:
Environment, Security, Water, Regulation, Waste
Proceedings Editor
Edmond Hajrizi
ISBN
978-9951-982-41-2
Location
UBT Lipjan, Kosovo
Start Date
25-10-2025 9:00 AM
End Date
26-10-2025 6:00 PM
DOI
10.33107/ubt-ic.2025.300
Recommended Citation
Doone, John, "Environmental Security" (2025). UBT International Conference. 7.
https://knowledgecenter.ubt-uni.net/conference/2025UBTIC/SS/7
Environmental Security
UBT Lipjan, Kosovo
From 2015 to 2018 Cape Town, South Africa, experienced a prolonged drought bringing the city close to ‘Day Zero’, a tipping-point when municipal water supplies would fall below critical and residential water service would be cut. Through implementing extensive measures this was averted, however, it did highlight many disparities between rich and poor. The UN warns that in 15 years, by 2040, about 40% of people worldwide may face severe water scarcity. Could Kosovo and the rest of the Western Balkans face ‘Day Zero’? Leakages or water technical losses in the Western Balkans through the distribution network is high, mainly due to ageing infrastructure, lack of investments, urbanization and population growth and migrations. In March 2022 Albania’s state power utility halted 11 of 13 electricity turbines at hydropower plants due to scarcity of water. Albania covered the cost of importing power from the state budget, reportedly injecting around 550 million Euros to cover imported electricity. Bosnia and Herzegovina is well-documented for serious environmental waterway concerns and a report stated the city of Sarajevo loses up to 80% of drinking water supplies due to neglected infrastructure and mismanagement. The Regulatory Water Authority in Pristina, Kosovo, stated that clean water leaked throughout the distribution system cannot be measured but is approximated through non-revenue water. This is the amount of water billed to the amount of water supplied. In 2021 non-revenue water was calculated to 58% in Pristina alone. This equated to 575 litres lost per person per day in the capital. An Olympic size swimming pool holds around 2,500 m3 of water. The equivalent of 9,600 Olympic sized swimming pools is lost per year, just in Pristina. For the entirety of Kosovo in 2021 the approximated calculation of non-revenue water was 86.1 million m³, the equivalent of 34,440 Olympic sized swimming pools. This is water collected, processed and pumped into the distribution chain without ever reaching end-users. Using these figures as comparisons, if research, investment and innovation reduced water loss in Pristina alone by just 25% this would be an annual financial cost saving of €2.7 million. Multiply this with other cities in Kosovo and the Western Balkans and the rewards are staggering. It needs to be recognized and actioned that water is a shrinking asset to be future-proofed.