Water Availability Under Future Climate Change in the Seman River Basin, Albania

Short Report – DHG Field Study, Albania (21–24 July 2025)

This report presents findings from a four-day field study (21–24 July 2025) in the Seman River Basin, Albania, conducted as part of Olivia Kirby’s Master’s thesis on water availability under future climate change. The fieldwork aimed to validate hydrometric and meteorological data, assess river and reservoir conditions, and examine agricultural water use. The study area, characterized by small-scale farming and variable flow conditions, experienced warm, dry weather during the campaign.

Day 1 focused on the Devoll River valley, where low flows, irrigation intakes, and manual monitoring practices were observed.
Day 2 included surveys of the Moglicë and Banja reservoirs, revealing sedimentation and discontinued monitoring at Kozare.
Day 3 covered the Osum River and nearby stations, highlighting challenges in low-flow measurement and heavy agricultural abstraction.

Observations showed widespread water scarcity, infrastructure degradation, and strong agricultural dependence on surface water.
These findings will improve hydrological model calibration and support projections of climate change impacts on Albania’s river systems.