AHK Bulgaria

The water and wastewater sector in Bulgaria is facing a number of problems. In the ailing and outdated supply network, about half of the water is currently lost in transport - for both fresh and wastewater. This increases the already existing water shortage. Drinking water sources continue to dry out due to increasingly recurring periods of drought. For this reason, the modernisation of the water and wastewater sector in Bulgaria is essential. German expertise and technology is expected to contribute to this endeavour.

The project of the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Bulgaria) pursued the overall goal of transferring German knowledge to Bulgaria and thus contributing to sustainable water and wastewater management and improved drinking water quality.

The project consisted of three modules. In the first module, the AHK Bulgaria prepared a short analysis. It presented the initial situation of the water sector, carried out a stakeholder analysis and proposed possible courses of action to solve the environmental problems. The short analysis also served as preparation for the second module, the organisation of a workshop in Sofia. The aim of the workshop was to facilitate the exchange between actors from Bulgaria and Germany. The results of the workshop in turn formed the basis for the development of a strategy paper. The paper aimed to present German companies but also science and research institutions the most urgent and promising fields for future collaboration in the water and wastewater sector.