Water and Wastewater Services in the Danube Region

Abstract

To evaluate and reflect the sustainability of services in the region, an overall sector sustainability assessment was conducted taking into account four main dimensions: access to services, quality of services, efficiency of services, and financing of services. Each of these dimensions is measured through three simple and objective indicators. For each indicator, best practice values are established by looking at the best performers in the region, and countries closest to those best performers are deemed to have a more mature sector. A more complete description of the methodology to assess sector sustainability is included in the annex of the state of the sector regional report from the Danube water program. The outcomes of this assessment for the Kosovo water sector are presented, which also shows average and best practices in the Danube region. As a result, the Kosovo sector sustainability score is 63, which is close to the Danube average sustainability of 64. The assessment shows that, on average, the country performs well in terms of access to piped water and flush toilets, continuity of service, staffing level and operating cost ratio. The main deficiencies identified through the sector sustainability assessment are the investment level, nonrevenue water, and wastewater treatment coverage. The main sector challenges are: securing stable and long-term financing for compliance investments; increasing water utility billing collection; and improving the efficiency of utilities to enhance their sustainability.