Location: Albania
Status: Ongoing
Description: In Albania there are about 625 reservoirs used for irrigation purposes. All of them were designed and built decades ago and many of them have been functioning for more than 50 years. Due to lack of maintenance, deforestation and, subsequently, land erosion, significant deposition of sediment has led to a reduction of the reservoirs’ storage capacity by around 50% on average, while safety concerns exist for many of the reservoirs. Apart from the sedimentation issue, reduced precipitation often leads to limited water availability in the reservoirs in the summer season.
The World Bank has been supporting Albania’s Irrigation Drainage sector since 1994, most recently with the Water Resources and Irrigation Project (2012-2021) in the framework of which 44 reservoirs were rehabilitated.
Going beyond the considerations regarding Irrigation Drainage, the purpose of the Phase-II Nexus Assessment in Albania is to explore specific options and scenarios on the potential for capturing cross sectoral synergies in selected artificial water reservoirs in Albania (to be identified in consultation with national authorities). Such cross-sectoral synergies and benefits include e.g. flood risk management, renewable energy production, and touristic and recreational use. By integrating considerations from different sectors, sustainable and resilient management of water and land resources can be achieved benefiting both the local community and the environment. The Assessment will quantify the benefits (and related costs) of options for the multipurpose use of reservoirs, leading to a concrete proposal of measures, interventions and investments across sectors (e.g. rehabilitation of infrastructure, monitoring systems, on-site renewable energy generation, enhancement of agricultural productivity) while also providing recommendations for capacity building of local stakeholders, institutional strengthening and coordination, and management options.
The work will also assess replication potential and prepare guidelines and action plan for the replication of actions in other reservoirs in Albania.
Objectives:
The objective of the Phase-II Nexus Assessment is to provide:
- a detailed and quantified assessment of options for capturing synergies and benefits across different sectors (water resources, agriculture, energy, environmental protection, tourism) in the rehabilitation of a specific irrigation reservoir and related infrastructure, to the level of a pre-feasibility study.
- a set of guidelines and related Action Plan for the replication and upscaling of such interventions in Albania.
Expected Outcomes:
- Identification of reservoirs potential for multi-purpose use and cross-sectoral benefits
- Preparation of an Inception Report
- Identification of a portfolio of options of interventions to capture cross-sectoral efficiencies and benefits in and around the reservoir
- Development of a detailed and quantified proposal of a set of interventions
- Development of an Action Plan for the eventual replication and upscaling of the identified interventions/solutions at the national level.