WB Drina 2020

Introduction

The GEF/SCCF funded DRBM Project is the result of several years of water resources management engagement and dialogue in the Balkans. The Project Development Objective is to improve mechanisms and capacities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia to plan and manage the trans-boundary Drina River Basin (DRB), incorporating climate change adaptation. The Project comprises three main components:

(1)  Multi-state cooperation in trans-boundary DRB management;

(2) Pilot investments for integrated DRB management including flood and drought management as well as climate change resilience and

(3) Project management, monitoring, evaluation & auditing.

Under Project Sub-Component (IA) “Development of an agreed SAP mainstreaming trans­boundary IWRM and climate change adaptation in national planning”, the following activities are planned:

• Sub-component 1A4: DRB Water Resources and Basin Study
• Sub-component 1 A: Hydraulic and Hydrologic Modelling for the DRB Including Optimization of Reservoir

Project Starting date: December 3^rd, 2019 (Kick-off Meeting)

Project Closing Date: October 31, 2020

Brief Description of the Drina River Basin

The Drina River, total length about 346 km, belongs to the Black Sea Basin, and is formed by merger of the Tara and Piva Rivers in the vicinity of Scepan Polje. The Drina River is the largest tributary of the Sava River and flows into it in the vicinity of Sremska Raca (81 m asl).

The Drina River Basin (DRB) has area of 19,680 km² and covers a part of the territory of four countries (Republic of Serbia, Republic of Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republic of Srpska and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania). It includes the south-western and western part of Serbia, the northern part of Montenegro and the eastern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The river flows in the direction South – North and has numerous tributaries. Its major tributaries on the left bank are: Sutjeska, Bistrica, Praca, Drinjaca and Janja, and on the right side: Cehotina, Lim, Rzav and Jadar.

The World Bank is supporting a more effective water resources management in DRB, taking into consideration flood and drought mitigation, sustainable water use and environmental management.

Project Aims and Aspirations

The main objective of this Project is to define all important parameters of the basin and water resources in order to define a regional strategy for water resources management, with the development and rationalization of water management and use.

The project will strengthen the mechanisms for cooperation among Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia regarding this shared resource. The project will also help deal with climate change-related extreme weather events, given that in recent years, disastrous floods and seasonal droughts have become more frequent and have caused severe damage.”

The project includes the following:

1. Preparation of the DRB Water Resources and Basin Study with the following components: hydrological study, ecological/guaranteed flow study, river morphology and sediment study with investigation works, water temperature study and torrential flow database,
2. Preparation of hydrological and hydraulic models (Hydraulic and Hydrologic Modelling for the DRB Including Reservoir Operation) which shall be used by basin management decision-makers along with reservoir management optimization,
3. Establishment of a GIS database.

The above-mentioned Project components should:

• meet the requirements of relevant stakeholders by providing information of public and professional interest,
• provide a regional integrated basin database and model base
• improve the current situation regarding the use of the basin potential, which is affected by the climate change.