From 20 to 23 July, the WATERVILL consortium, in which NALAS is a key partner, carried out field visits in the Municipality of Ilirska Bistrica in Slovenia and Teslić in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Srpska.

WATERVILL is an Interreg Euro-MED Programme-funded project, addressing water scarcity in rural and mountainous areas of the Mediterranean by modernising local water infrastructure and improving water management. In these regions, local communities often rely on outdated, fragmented and climate-vulnerable water supply systems. In the face of the increasing impacts of climate change, these areas face frequent shortages, poor water quality and unstable water services.

In order to address water scarcity, WATERVILL develops innovative solutions to modernise rural water management by combining smart technologies, nature-based strategies and community know-how. The project brings together municipalities, universities, associations of local authorities, and an association of water professionals.

These field visits were organised as part of the project’s first area of action, focusing on analysing the current condition of water supply systems in the project’s four pilot municipalities. Besides NALAS, the WATERVILL consortium involves three of NALAS’s member associations: AMCRS, SOS and ZELS, as well as four municipalities: Žabljak in Montenegro, Ilirska Bistrica in Slovenia, Bitola in North Macedonia, and Teslić in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Srpska. UoM is also involved in the project as an associated partner.

Led by the project’s technical partners, the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (UNIZAG FSB), and the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (UPV), these visits were organised to complement an ongoing survey on the state of water supply systems, to observe the systems directly on the ground and exchange with local stakeholders about the challenges faced when it comes to rural water supply and overall management.

These insights will also help partners design solutions best adapted to the specific needs of each pilot area.

In WATERVILL, NALAS coordinates the sharing of knowledge and best practices through its wide network by developing resources such as an e-learning course. NALAS also ensures that tested solutions are replicated across the region, particularly through the creation of a community of practice bringing together local governement representatives, experts and stakeholders from across the region.

Its expertise in local governance and regional cooperation helps strengthen the project’s wider impact and reach.

Find out more about WATERVILL on the project website: https://watervill.interreg-euro-med.eu/ .

Within WATERVILL, NALAS also receives financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).