USAID Helps Serbian Communities Deal with Water Shortages
Five south-central Serbian municipalities have been severely affected by acute water shortages due to recent droughts and insufficient water reservoir capacity in this part of the country. As the water level of the local river has dropped, so too has the Rzav regional system that supplies water to the towns of Arilje, Požega, Lučani, Čačak, and Gornji Milanovac.
To date, more than 250,000 people have been directly affected. Water restrictions have been imposed following the Government of Serbia’s decision to declare a state of natural disaster in the area. USAID’s Preparedness and Planning program has responded with immediate assistance by providing five water tanks to Arilje, the most impacted municipality.
“Since the situation was very serious and not the least encouraging before the start of the school year, we were worried that the beginning of the school year would have to de delayed, since there was no water. We decided to react quickly by forming a Crisis Committee and approaching USAID for assistance,” said Mirjana Avakumovic, the mayor of Arilje. “As a result, we received these five water tanks. This assistance is very valuable for our municipality since the water supply problem has been [ongoing]; these water tanks will help us in the interim, until a permanent solution has been found.”
The water tanks (three 2,000-liter and two 3,000-liter capacity) were delivered to the local kindergarten, primary school, high-school, and a health center. For the 2,500 Arilje students, the school year began on time.
The U.S. donation complements the Serbian Government’s efforts to alleviate water shortages in central and western Serbia by providing adequate on-site and mobile storage of water in places where large numbers of people congregate. Serbia’s Agriculture Minister Saša Dragin said his ministry's priority will be to start construction works on the reservoir lake Svračkovo. This three-year project could permanently solve the water supplying problems of 300,000 people living in that part of the country.
USAID’s Preparedness and Planning program helps municipalities be more resilient to crises and disasters, such as floods, wildfires, landslides and chemical accidents. The municipality of Arilje is one of 42 municipalities in which the program is currently engaged.
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| Arilje’s kindergarten children celebrate the arrival of the USAID donated water tanks. |
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