Nature Conservation Institute says Serbia is water poor

A press release on World Water Day said that Serbia is one of the water-poorest countries in Europe with an annual 1,840 cubic meters per capita, a situation which is eased by the transit waters of the Danube. It said that underground waters are the main water-supply resource for both the population and industry, accounting for 90 percent of the water supply. The Institute said underground waters are not used sufficiently exploited and are not being rationally used.

The Institute said that Serbia has more than 1,000 rivers and streams over a length of 65,980 kilometers. It warned that although the waters in the country have been under protection for 70 years the exploitation of mineral resources, flora and fauna have to be controlled constantly, recalling that Serbia has some 100 species of fish in its rivers and streams, accounting for 20 percent of all fresh water fish species in Europe.

World Water Day, March 22nd, was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1922, and since 1993 this important ecological date has been officially celebrated in the world in order to draw attention to water resources issues. This year Water Day is dedicated to the inextricable bind between water and climate change.