Pilot Project "Design and testing of a multipurpose transboundary groundwater monitoring network in the Extended Drin River Basin" (DRIN) 2017 - 2020 Final Report The Coordinated Action for the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding for the management of the Drin basin (Drin CORDA) is supported by the GEF Drin Project. Thus, the latter constitutes an institutional project implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and executed by the Global Water Partnership (GWP) through GWP-Mediterranean (GWP- Med), in cooperation with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The Drin Core Group (DCG), being the multilateral body responsible for the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding serves as the Steering Committee of the Project. GWP-Med serves as the Secretariat of the DCG. Disclaimer: The document adheres to the UN rules and policies regarding the names and international status of countries and/or other geographical areas etc. The use of characterizations, names, maps or other geographical statements in this document in no way implies any political view or positions of the Parties which are executing and implementing the Project. For more information, please contact Web: www.gwpmed.org Headquarters: 12, Kyrristou str., 10556 Athens, Greece T: +30210-3247490, -3247267 F: +30210-3317127 Design and testing of a multipurpose transboundary groundwater monitoring network in the Extended Drin River Basin (Final Report) Pilot Project "Design and testing of a multipurpose transboundary groundwater monitoring network in the Extended Drin River Basin" (DRIN) 2017 - 2020 Final Report Authors: Laura del Val Alonso Salvatore Carrubba Josep Mas-Pla Under the supervision of Dr. Alexandro K. Makarigakis December 2019 1 Design and testing of a multipurpose transboundary groundwater monitoring network in the Extended Drin River Basin (Final Report) Table of contents EXECUTIVE REPORT ..................................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1. ................................................................................................................................................. 7 HYDROGEOLOGICAL CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF THE SKADAR/SHKODER – BUNA/BOJANA TRANS- BOUNDARY AQUIFER SYSTEM (ALBANIA AND MONTENEGRO) ................................................................... 7 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 7 PROBLEM STATEMENT ......................................................................................................................................... 7 THE WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE (WFD) .......................................................................................................... 8 GOALS AND CONTENT OF THIS DOCUMENT ............................................................................................................ 10 AVAILABLE INFORMATION .................................................................................................................................. 11 2. CHARACTERIZATION OF GROUNDWATER BODIES ............................................................................ 13 2.1. GEOLOGY .......................................................................................................................................... 13 Regional geology .................................................................................................................................... 13 Geology of the Zeta and Koplik-Skhodër plains (Skadar/Shkoder Lake area) ......................................... 16 Geology of the Buna/Bojana alluvial and deltaic plains ......................................................................... 19 2.2. HYDROGEOLOGICAL CONCEPTUAL MODEL ................................................................................................ 20 Main hydrogeological units .................................................................................................................... 20 Hydrogeological units of the Zeta Plain ............................................................................................................... 20 Hydrogeological units of the Koplik-Skhodër Plain .............................................................................................. 23 Hydrogeological units of the Buna/Bojana River area ......................................................................................... 24 Water balance and recharge/discharge pathways ................................................................................. 27 Water balance ..................................................................................................................................................... 28 Recharge/discharge pathways ............................................................................................................................. 31 Groundwater depended ecosystems....................................................................................................... 35 Groundwater Dependent Aquatic Ecosystems .................................................................................................... 36 Groundwater Related Terrestrial Environments ................................................................................................. 37 Protected areas ................................................................................................................................................... 39 Hydrochemistry and groundwater quality .............................................................................................. 40 Zeta Plain (MNT) .................................................................................................................................................. 40 Koplik - Shkoder (ALB) ......................................................................................................................................... 44 Trush and Zadrima alluvial plains (MNT – ALB) ................................................................................................... 45 Buna-Bojana delta (MNT – ALB) .......................................................................................................................... 47 Pressures and impacts on groundwater resources ................................................................................. 49 2.3. GROUNDWATER BODIES ....................................................................................................................... 54 GWBs in the Zeta and Koplik-Skhodër plains (Skadar Lake area) ........................................................... 54 GWBs in the Buna/Bojana area .............................................................................................................. 57 Transboundary features.......................................................................................................................... 59 CHAPTER 2. ............................................................................................................................................... 63 AQUIFER COMPREHENSIVE VULNERABILITY MAPPING ............................................................................. 63 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 63 2. APPLICATION OF AQUIFER VULNERABILITY TO THE TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFER LOCATED WITHIN THE SKADAR/SHKODER - BUNA/BOJANA AREA SHARED BY ALBANIA AND MONTENEGRO. ..................... 64 2.1. DESCRIPTION OF THE VULNERABILITY MAP ............................................................................................... 64 1 Design and testing of a multipurpose transboundary groundwater monitoring network in the Extended Drin River Basin (Final Report) The vertical vulnerability map ................................................................................................................ 66 The horizontal vulnerability map ............................................................................................................ 68 The comprehensive vulnerability map .................................................................................................... 71 2.2. MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................................... 74 2.3. FLOODING VULNERABILITY MAP ............................................................................................................. 78 CHAPTER 3. ............................................................................................................................................... 80 DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A GROUNDWATER MONITORING NETWORK AND PROGRAMME FOR THE TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFER BETWEEN ALBANIA AND MONTENEGRO ...................................................... 80 3. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 80 PROBLEM STATEMENT ....................................................................................................................................... 80 GOALS AND CONTENT OF THIS DOCUMENT ............................................................................................................ 82 PROPOSED GROUNDWATER BODIES ...................................................................................................................