Establishing a Groundwater Monitoring Network in the Drini i Bardhe River Basin, Kosovo: A Focus on Water Level and Temperature Monitoring

Over the past few decades, groundwater has gained global recognition as one of our most important natural resources. Keeping track of groundwater levels helps us better understand how aquifers behave and how they're affected by things like climate change, water use, and land development. That’s why setting up long-term monitoring systems is so important for managing groundwater in a sustainable way. Compared to surface water, groundwater has some clear advantages. The Hydrometeorological Institute of Kosovo, which oversees both surface and groundwater monitoring, also played a key role in the project. As part of this effort, 40 monitoring wells were installed across the country’s four main river basins: 7 in the Morava e Binçes basin, 8 in the Ibër basin, 8 in the Lepenc basin, and 17 in the Drini i Bardhë basin.The main goal of this network is to keep an eye on how groundwater levels and quality change over time. This information will help improve how water resources are managed, support environmental protection, safeguard public health, and contribute to sustainable development across Kosovo.