The water level of Lake Skadar is still rising, but at a significantly lower intensity than in previous days, the Hydrometeorological Institute confirmed this morning.
After a sudden rise over the weekend, when the lake level rose by up to 24 centimeters in 24 hours, the situation is gradually calming down.
Hydrologist Ervin Kalač told Boje jutra on Vijesti Television that an increase of about 12 centimeters was recorded yesterday, while this morning the increase was only four to five centimeters.
"The situation has been leading to additional stabilization since this morning. The water level of Lake Skadar is currently rising by only four to five centimeters, which, along with other parameters we are monitoring, especially precipitation in Montenegro and Albania, indicates stability. We expect complete stabilization to occur during the day, and then the lake level to begin to fall in the coming days," said Kalač.
According to him, the most endangered locations were the locations along the shores of Lake Skadar, which had been exposed to similar problems in previous years.
"These are the areas that are first hit when the lake level rises and that have historically had problems in such situations. However, it is important to point out that, when we talk about the Zeta River and the Danilovograd area, we have not had such situations since 2010," said Kalač.
Speaking about the state of rivers in Montenegro, Kalač pointed out that water levels are falling across almost the entire territory.
"River water levels are currently very favorable. Over the weekend, we had a short-term increase in smaller basins due to heavy rainfall, but these basins react quickly and the water level drops just as quickly," he said.
However, he warns that weather conditions in the coming period could affect the dynamics of water withdrawal.
"What we need to pay special attention to is the possible warming and melting of the snow cover. This could slow down the drop in the water level of Lake Skadar and prolong that process by several days, and any new precipitation in the coming period could further complicate the situation," said Kalač.
When it comes to preventive measures, Kalač emphasizes that it is necessary to draw lessons from previous experiences, especially in the context of climate change.
"We must take care of the infrastructure, canals and managed riverbeds. We must at least maintain, if not improve, the achievements that were created over decades, even more than a hundred years ago. It is also important that facilities are not built in areas that are regularly exposed to floods," he stressed.
He added that climate change is bringing more and more frequent extreme events.
According to meteorological forecasts, no new precipitation is expected in the coming days, which further contributes to optimism that the level of Lake Skadar will gradually return to more favorable conditions.
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