WATER RESOURCES EXPLOITATION IN BULGARIA: A WATER SECURITY PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This study examines the exploitation of water resources in Bulgaria within the framework of water security, with particular emphasis on the structural transformation of water supply systems and the increasing strategic role of groundwater. The analysis is based on River Basin Management Plans (2022–2027), national statistical data, and a comprehensive assessment of water abstraction dynamics across the four river basin districts for the period 2010–2024. The results reveal a clear shift from surface water dominance towards a groundwater-driven supply model, characterized by a decline in surface water abstraction from 488.3 million m³ in 2010 to 386.1 million m³ in 2024, and a relatively stable but increasingly dominant role of groundwater, which accounts for over 50% of total public water abstraction on average and reaches approximately 78–81% of drinking water supply at national level. The findings demonstrate that, despite the existence of significant reservoir infrastructure, the long-term stability and resilience of water supply in Bulgaria are predominantly sustained by groundwater resources, which function as a buffering and stabilizing component of the system.