Code: WBEC-REG-ENE-01 REGIONAL STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABLE HYDROPOWER IN THE WESTERN BALKANS Background Report No. 2 Hydrology, integrated water resources management and climate change Final Draft 4 November 2017 IPA 2011-WBIF-Infrastructure Project Facility- Technical Assistance 3 EuropeAid/131160/C/SER/MULTI/3C This project is funded by the European Union Information Class: EU Standard The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the Mott MacDonald IPF Consortium and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. This document is issued for the party which commissioned it and for specific purposes connected with the above-captioned project only. It should not be relied upon by any other party or used for any other purpose. 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REGIONAL STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABLE HYDROPOWER IN THE WESTERN BALKANS Background Report No. 2: Hydrology, integrated water resources management and climate change Final Draft 4 Page 2 Contents List of abbreviations and symbols ........................................................................................................6 List of tables .......................................................................................................................................8 List of figures ......................................................................................................................................8 0 PREAMBLE..................................................................................................................................9 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 13 1.1 Background to Hydrology and Related Issues of the Hydropower Schemes in the WB6 Region 13 1.2 Objectives ................................................................................................................... 13 1.3 Activities ...................................................................................................................... 15 1.4 Links with other tasks of the Study ................................................................................ 16 2 DRAINAGE BASINS OVERVIEW ................................................................................................ 17 2.1 Black Sea Drainage Basin ............................................................................................ 17 2.1.1 Danube River Basin: An Overview ............................................................................. 17 2.1.2 Sava River Basin – Water Management Overview ...................................................... 19 2.1.3 Velika Morava River Basin – Water Management Overview ........................................ 23 2.2 Mediterranean Drainage Basin ...................................................................................... 25 2.2.1 Biogeographic Setting............................................................................................... 27 2.2.2 Physiography, Climate and Land use ......................................................................... 28 2.2.3 Hydrology and Biogeochemistry ................................................................................ 31 2.3 Management and Conservation..................................................................................... 34 2.3.1 Economic Importance ............................................................................................... 34 2.3.2 Conservation and Restoration ................................................................................... 35 2.3.3 Restoration Activities and Potential ............................................................................ 36 3 CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE WESTERN BALKANS AND HYDROPOWER ..................................... 37 3.1 General issues of climate change .................................................................................. 37 3.1.1 EU Policy in Climate Change .................................................................................... 37 3.1.2 Understanding of the relationships and impacts .......................................................... 37 3.1.3 Climate Change in the context of Western Balkans ..................................................... 40 3.1.4 Selected references to scientific sources.................................................................... 42 3.1.5 Climate Change vs. Water Run-off in the Region ........................................................ 43 REGIONAL STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABLE HYDROPOWER IN THE WESTERN BALKANS Background Report No. 2: Hydrology, integrated water resources management and climate change Final Draft 4 Page 3 3.1.6 Power Sector overview ............................................................................................. 44 3.1.7 Policy responses: Global and Regional ...................................................................... 46 3.1.8 WB6 country plans and supporting UNFCCC ............................................................. 47 3.1.9 Legal background to Climate Change ........................................................................ 48 3.1.10 Sectorial Climate Change Strategies for Water ....................................................... 49 3.1.11 Effects of Climate Change on Flood Management and Hydropower ......................... 49 3.1.12 Concluding remarks .............................................................................................. 51 3.1.13 Recommendations ................................................................................................ 53 3.2 Greenhouse gas emissions & absorptions from hydropower schemes in the Western Balkans................................................................................................................................... 56 3.2.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 56 3.2.2 Organic matter and GHG .......................................................................................... 56 3.2.3 Environmental effects on reservoirs and the consequences for GHG emissions ........... 56 3.2.4 Conclusions and future research needs and future perspectives.................................. 57 4 WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE IN THE WESTERN BALKANS .............................................. 60 4.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................. 60 4.2 National and international water management practice ................................................... 62 4.3 WFD environmental objectives and management objectives ........................................... 62 4.3.1 Hydro-morphological alterations - Vision and management objectives.......................... 63 4.3.2 Exemptions of WFD according to Articles 4(4), 4(5), 4(6) and 4(7) ............................... 63 4.3.3 WFD Economics ...................................................................................................... 65 4.3.4 Integrating water protection in River Basin developments............................................ 65 4.3.5 Flood protection ....................................................................................................... 65 4.3.6 Hydropower ............................................................................................................. 66 4.3.7 Programme of Measures........................................................................................... 67 4.3.8 Special considerations for EU-Candidate countries ..................................................... 69 5 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS AND IMPACTS ON RIVERS WITH RESERVOIRS ................................. 70 6 CLASSIFICATION OF WATERSHEDS AND RIVER BASINS IN THE WB6 REGION ...................... 71 6.1 Introduction to Use of Watershed Classification .............................................................. 71 6.2 The European Water Framework Directive..................................................................... 73 6.3 Concluding remarks ..................................................................................................... 73 7 ASSESSMENT OF HYDROLOGIC DATA IN THE WESTERN BALKANS....................................... 75 REGIONAL STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABLE HYDROPOWER IN THE WESTERN BALKANS Background Report No. 2: Hydrology, integrated water resources management and climate change Final Draft 4 Page 4 7.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................