The increasingly frequent intense rainfall, followed by prolonged periods of drought, show serious weaknesses in water management in Bulgaria. This was stated by the former Minister of Environment and Water Julian Popov in a comment to BTV about the recent floods in Central and Northern Bulgaria.
According to Popov, the damage from disasters can be limited, but only with a long-term strategy and coordinated actions.
„The damage could have been more limited, but in order to deal with the floods, there must be a systematic approach. We do not have a systematic approach – "we wait for something to happen and then we start to react, usually with panic and crisis management," he said.
According to him, the problem is not limited to cleaning the riverbeds. "The way rivers are managed in Bulgaria is wrong. They are constantly being built up and corrected. This is an old-fashioned approach that has serious negative consequences," Popov said.
He stressed that the insurance sector should also actively participate in risk management. "When a flood starts, the conversation immediately becomes what the state will pay. Insurers are almost not present in this process. And when the insurance business is active, it exercises control, carries out inspections and gives guidelines because it has an interest in it," the former minister pointed out.
According to him, the state should intervene only in the most critical situations, and not bear the damage in every disaster. "It is not normal to expect that the state will pay for everything with every heavy rain or flooded basement," Popov added.
He also emphasized the lack of coordination between the institutions responsible for water management.
"After 1989, governance in Bulgaria was decentralized, but there is a lack of coordination between the individual structures. In addition, there is a lack of sufficient data and analysis. Every disaster surprises us, and it shouldn't be like that," he said. According to him, the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology has good forecasts, but they should be used more effectively by local and central authorities.
Popov believes that the problem with the rivers is the result of years of incorrect engineering decisions and uncontrolled construction. "The river must be diagnosed from beginning to end. It is not enough to simply clean it. In Sofia, rivers are channeled into concrete beds, bridges and infrastructure are being built on them that limit their conductivity“, he said.
As an example, he cited the Eagle Bridge, where, according to him, the bridge facility closes a significant part of the river section. The former minister also warned about the risks of overbuilding at the foot of Vitosha.
“The slopes of Vitosha are a natural retention system that retains water. However, these territories are currently being continuously built up“, Popov emphasized. He also gave the example of the Boyana Swamp, which, according to him, performs an important protective function for the capital. “This is a natural retention volume above Sofia, and construction continues on it“, he warned.
Popov also commented on the connection between climate change and the increasing frequency of extreme events. "If climate change continues to develop as expected, sudden heavy rainfall will become more frequent and intense," he said. According to him, the consequences could be catastrophic, especially in tourist areas during the active season.
“If the floods in Tsarevo had happened at the peak of the season, the victims could have been dozens, even hundreds“, Popov said. He also drew attention to the problem of water scarcity, which he said would not be solved without serious investments in water infrastructure.
“In many places there is already a water regime. This is not only a result of climate change, but also of poor management of the water sector“, said the former minister. According to him, in some settlements, between 50 and 80 percent of water is lost due to depreciated infrastructure.
“It is normal to reach a water regime when such huge amounts of water are lost“, Popov emphasized. He gave the example of Pleven, where, according to him, many times more rainwater falls annually than is necessary for the city's consumption, but it is not used effectively.
“About 15 times more water falls annually on Pleven than the city's consumption. This water is used neither for irrigation nor for domestic needs“, Popov said.
In conclusion, he summarized that Bulgaria needs a comprehensive reform in water management, combined with modern and environmentally friendly solutions.
“It is not enough to drive a car and clean the river, and then say: “We are done“. We are not done“, said Julian Popov.