News, July 2025

During July 2025, the National Committee of Large Dams (ALBCOLD) organized several important activities within the framework of the tasks defined in the legislation in force and the improvement of the work for monitoring dams.

On 16.07.2025, the National Committee of Large Dams (ALBCOLD) organized the regular meeting for the month of July 2025. In this meeting, several main issues were analyzed and reviewed as follows:

1-Review and Approval of the Draft Budget of the ALBCOLD for 2026

During the meeting, the main activities of the ALBCOLD and its supporting structures for 2026 were reviewed and discussed, as well as the obligations set out in the legislation in force for the representation of the Albanian state in the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) and in the activities organized by ICOLD. The members of the Committee discussed the necessity of supporting the ALBCOLD in its work related to the monitoring and control of dams, the preparation of technical standards in the field of monitoring dams with local material and anti-seismic measures in this sector, the organization of trainings for dam users related to the Operation and monitoring of dams, the promotion of the dam safety sector, the support of technical progress in the field of dam safety, cooperation with analogous European organizations, etc. After discussions of all members present, the ALBCOLD decided to approve the Budget for the year 2026 proposed by the working team for the necessary expenses for the activities and operations of the ALBCOLD and KTPD.

For more detailed information, please click on Decision No. 21 of the ALBCOLD, dated 16.07.2025 here

2-Review of the project for the investigation and rehabilitation of the main collector of the Tirana Lake Dam discharge system submitted by WCT

The implementation project submitted by WCT and prepared by the consulting firm “EBS” shpk addressed the findings regarding the investigation carried out on the condition of the collector along its entire length of more than 1.5 km as well as the measures that should be taken for the rehabilitation of some of its main parts which are blocked and create problems during the discharge of excess water into it. This project was based on the fulfillment of the requirements of the ALBCOLD given at the meeting of February 2025 for the interventions that should be carried out along its entire length. Representatives of the Consulting firm and UKT were present at the meeting, who provided the relevant explanations on the current situation, calculations and proposals for the rehabilitation of the most problematic areas of this collector.

The investigation conducted by the experts of the consulting firm shows that in two areas where this collector passes, there are blockages of manholes, blockages of the pipeline and underdimensioning due to additional incoming flows and the current diameter of the collector. The most problematic areas are the area behind the dam where the collector passes under the buildings of the former Balkan University and the area near a multi-storey building under construction near the APC sh.a. building. In these areas there is a great risk that during the maximum flows that may come to the area, we will have blockages of water movement and flooding in the area around them.

The experts and members of the ALBCOLD agreed with the conclusions of the designers that in these two areas the collector should be rehabilitated and rehabilitated, making it possible to move it along the roads with the aim of avoiding the route of this collector from private areas and moving it to public areas where future maintenance is easier and without problems.

At the same time, the members of the ALBCOLD express concern that the Municipality of Tirana, as the owner of the facility, has not yet responded to the request of WCT regarding the interventions in this collector as well as the necessary changes to its route proposed by the Consulting firm. The members of the ALBCOLD express the opinion that the presented project can be implemented only after the approval, by the owner of the facility, which is the Municipality of Tirana, of the rehabilitation and transfer to public areas for the two main parts of the collector proposed in the project in question. The KKDM will await the response of the Municipality of Tirana as the owner of the facility regarding the proposed interventions in the submitted project and will then issue the relevant Decision.

3-Review of the project for the rehabilitation of the Pepel 1 dam in the Dropull municipality

ALBCOLD reviewed the technical documentation of the implementation project for the rehabilitation of the Pepel 1 reservoir dam from the Dropull municipality. From the review of the submitted documentation, it results that in the submitted project, the replacement of the stone layer in the upper dam basin with a reinforced concrete layer was unfounded. The drawings presented in this documentation are unclear and incomplete. Many details and cross-sectional profiles of the reinforced concrete layer, the intake work and some objects foreseen in the project are missing. Also, the Review conducted by IN had given some comments regarding the project which were not reflected in the received documentation.

The ALBCOLD had also invited representatives and technical experts of the Dropull municipality and the designers who were supposed to provide clarifications regarding the deficiencies and problems found, but the technical experts and designers were not present.

For all the above deficiencies, the members of the ALBCOLD judged that this project cannot be implemented in the conditions that it has been presented and requested that the Dropull Municipality be informed about the problems and deficiencies found with the aim of improving and completing the technical documentation.

On 22.07.2025, at the request of the ALBCOLD, a working meeting was organized between the Chairman of the Committee and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ms. Anila Denaj, to discuss several important issues related to the monitoring and management of dams and reservoirs administered by the MARD, the valuation of dam and irrigation reservoir assets, measurements of actual reservoir volumes and, in particular, the issues related to the monitoring of the Thane dam and reservoir.

Also, on 23.07.2025, a working meeting was organized at the Korca district prefecture to discuss the list and passports for small dams according to the instructions and requirements of the ALBCOLD. Asset assessment of 122 dams and reservoirs in the Korca region, organization of technical management units in dams, and reporting of issues regarding the condition and monitoring of dams in the Korca region.