The effects of climate change are manifesting in various ways, and one significant aspect is the impact on water reserves, particularly in Albania.
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| A human hand filling a glass with water at the sink |
In a joint article by representatives of the Water Regulatory Authority and the National Water Supply and Sewerage Agency, specific measures are highlighted that water supply and sewerage companies need to undertake to minimize the effects of these changes.
It is well known that 75% of the water demand for water supply and sewerage companies is covered by underground water basins and mountainous water sources (captages), while the remaining portion is covered by surface basins (such as Tirana).
In the context of climate change issues, the problem of prolonged droughts is becoming increasingly concerning, creating significant challenges for water reserves used for drinking water purposes.
In this situation, comprehensive and continuous monitoring of underground water basins and mountainous water sources is deemed necessary. In cases where the results indicate alarming levels of these reserves, measures to address them should be part of Risk Management Plans, which the water supply and sewerage companies must have.
Regarding this finding, these institutions also propose measures that should be taken, adopting an approach towards the use of advanced technology.
For this purpose, in all underground water basins, piezometric systems with sensors (otherwise known as digitalized systems) should be installed to monitor these water reserves online. This monitoring should be conducted by the Water Basin Administration Offices. The detection of decreasing levels below or near the critical levels set for exploitation should trigger an alarm signal to undertake further measures to address the water demand. The same approach should be applied to water from mountainous sources used by water supply and sewerage companies.
Climate change has become a concern for various sectors of the global economy. The year 2023 witnessed a record average temperature since 1850 when historical data began to be recorded. The year 2024 is predicted to follow the same trend.