EBRD approves EUR 66 million loan to Serbia – New dam in Kolubara basin for flood protection and irrigation of 2,200 ha

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a loan of up to EUR 66 million to Serbia for the construction of a multipurpose dam in the western part of the country, further strengthening climate change resilience and improving water resource management, the Bank said in a statement.

The project involves the construction of a dam and reservoir in the village of Pambukovica, in the Kolubara river basin, an area frequently affected by floods. The investment aims to reduce flood risks, protect the population, agricultural land and infrastructure, and ensure long-term security of water supply.

The project will be financed by a state loan from the EBRD to the Republic of Serbia, and includes the construction and operation of a modern, climate-resilient dam that will primarily serve to control torrential waters and regulate the river flow. At the same time, it is designed in advance to enable the development of an irrigation system in subsequent phases.

According to the project, the Pambukovica earthen dam on the Ub River will be 30.5 meters high, while the reservoir will have a volume of 8.15 million cubic meters, and the construction of supporting infrastructure is also planned.

The estimated construction time is about three years, while the designed lifespan of the dam is 80 years. The project should be implemented in two phases - the first involves the construction of the dam, reservoir and road reconstruction, while the second includes the development of the irrigation system in the coming years.

In the Kolubara Basin, which was particularly affected by the major floods of 2014, such infrastructure is considered crucial for long-term water management and adaptation to increasingly frequent extreme weather conditions.

In addition to flood protection, the project also includes environmental protection measures, such as sediment management, maintaining ecological flow and improving water quality, thereby contributing to more sustainable land use and healthier river ecosystems.

After the reservoir is created, it is planned to provide irrigation for more than 2,200 hectares of agricultural land, which should increase the resilience of domestic producers to droughts and unstable rainfall.

The EBRD says that this is a strategic project that, in addition to flood protection, lays the foundation for sustainable agriculture and long-term water resource management in Serbia.

B. P.

EBRD Evropska banka za obnovu i razvoj Beograd

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

EBRD

Pambukovica village

Kolubara River basin

Ub River

Pambukovica dam

state borrowing

EBRD loan

construction of Pambukovica dam and reservoir

flood protection

irrigation