site.btaIchthyologist Bekova: Urban Rivers Are a Resource, Not a Problem

Urban rivers should be seen not as a problem but as a resource that can bring long-term environmental, social and economic benefits if managed properly, ichthyologist and hydrobiologist Radoslava Bekova of the Institute of Oceanology told BTA on Sunday.

Speaking on the occasion of World Water Day, Bekova said restoring urban rivers was a necessity rather than a luxury, especially as extreme rainfall and droughts become more frequent.

According to information on the official United Nations website, World Water Day has been marked every year on March 22 since 1993. It is an international initiative aimed at raising awareness of the global water crisis and the need for sustainable and fair management of water resources. This year’s campaign motto is Where Water Flows, Equality Grows.

In connection with this year’s initiative, Bekova said that, in social terms, urban rivers improve quality of life by providing spaces for recreation, sport and contact with nature. She added that more than 90% of Bulgaria’s rivers pass through populated areas.

Bulgaria is a country with a dense network of small and medium-sized rivers that have historically formed the basis for the emergence of settlements, she said. Bekova described it as a problem that, over the decades, many of these rivers have been straightened, forced into concrete beds, covered over or turned into wastewater channels, which has led to a loss of their ecological functions. These outside impacts can also cause flooding, such as that seen on the southern Black Sea coast in 2025, she explained. Urbanization is also visible along the Perlovska River in Sofia, Bekova added.

The restoration of urban rivers is not a luxury but a necessity, especially as extreme rainfall and droughts become more frequent, she said.

As successful examples, Bekova pointed to sections of the Cherni Osam River, the Iskar River near Samokov, and the Beli Lom River, where gentler, environmentally oriented approaches have been applied, including preserving natural meanders, using bioengineering reinforcement and restoring riverside vegetation, along with active intervention by the Ministry of Environment and Water to stop sources of pollution.

The topic of urban rivers also naturally leads to the role of wetlands, because they are part of a shared water and ecological continuum, Bekova said. When rivers are restored and managed in a nature-friendly way, this also supports the wetlands linked to them, which are of key importance for biodiversity, water retention and limiting the effects of droughts and floods, she added.

At European level, nature-based solutions are being used more widely to restore natural hydrological connectivity and the seasonal dynamics of water levels, while reducing outside nutrient pressure from catchment areas through integrated management of coastal ecosystems, Bekova also said. Experience in the Shabla area shows that even moderate interventions aligned with natural processes can significantly improve the ecological condition and resilience of these systems, she added. This makes coastal lakes suitable pilot sites for applying new European nature restoration policies, Bekova concluded.

Аt the beginning of March, the Ministry of Environment and Water said it was setting up a Coordination Unit for Marine Policies to achieve more effective management of processes and information related to the Black Sea. It will also be responsible for improving coordination between the competent institutions and scientific organizations, the ministry’s press service said at the time. The unit was created by order of caretaker Minister of Environment and Water Julian Popov.