Hydrogeologist Zoran Stevanović warns that water, Serbia’s vital resource and “future gold,” is under threat due to climate change and inadequate management. Temperatures and weather patterns have shifted dramatically, causing longer dry periods interrupted by intense storms and floods. Despite increasing frequency of extreme precipitation events, Serbia is not preparing effectively for these changes.
For several years, parts of Serbia have experienced water shortages affecting consumers, with nine dry years already recorded in this century—almost matching the total dry years of the entire 20th century. Experts predict more heavy rainfall days but warn water availability will remain critical, affecting ecosystems and requiring improved water management.
Large mining projects—such as the Jadar project by Rio Tinto, copper and gold mining by Chinese company Zijin in eastern Serbia, and infrastructure projects like the Makiš metro and EXPO 2027 in Surčin—pose additional risks to water resources. Serbia legally treats water as a public, inalienable resource that must be used sustainably, but implementation falls short.
Serbia currently uses about 25% of its underground water reserves, which supply 70-75% of total consumption. Mining and related projects threaten to increase usage and reduce underground water availability.
The only new water source opened in this century, the Bogovina spring near Bor, supplying high-quality water at 250 liters per second, is now endangered by plans to build a reservoir that would flood it to provide technical water for Ziđin’s mining operations. Experts warn that treated water cannot match natural quality.
Stevanović criticizes the state for entrusting foreign mining companies with environmental care, while staffing for mining inspections remains critically low—only four inspectors cover the entire country, insufficient for effective monitoring.
Pollution linked to Zijin’s mining activities has severely impacted local rivers. In 2023, pollutant levels in the Cerovo and Kriveljska rivers exceeded legal limits by multiple times, with copper, arsenic, lead, iron, and manganese levels alarmingly high. The Pek River near Majdanpek has turned red and green due to contamination, with toxic metals far above safe levels. Downstream waters are no longer usable due to heavy pollution.
