Kosovo Minister of Economic Development Fadil Ismajli and Swiss Ambassador Krystyna Marty Lang inaugurate together with officials from Kosovo the Swiss financed water project involving the rehabilitation and extension of water pipe systems in Ferizaj, as well as the construction of a new reservoir in Gjilan. Furthermore, a new billing system is introduced in both towns for a total of 6.7 mio CHF.

The Swiss program started in 1999 by the Swiss Humanitarian Aid with emergency water supply and it was soon taken over by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) within the programs of the cooperation with Eastern Europe (EEC) in the form of a proper water supply program targeting mainly the South-Eastern region of Kosovo. Between 1999 and 2014, Switzerland was the third largest donor in the water sector with an investment of 45 mio CHF.

Today Switzerland is the lead donor in the water sector in Kosovo. Besides water supply Switzerland supports since its foundation in 2008 the Inter-ministerial Water Council, a high level decision-making body with the tasks to advance the water sector related policy, coordinating a large number of approaches, rules and regulations issued by different ministries.

With the support of Switzerland and other donors the total population covered with water supply systems increased from 44% to 76%, whereas in rural areas it increased from 8 to 61% in the last 15 years. For the next years Switzerland will focus on the further extension of the water supply in rural areas and on the construction of wastewater treatment plants.

In line with its cooperation strategy 2013-2016 for Kosovo, Switzerland focuses on the four areas of democratic governance and decentralization, economy and employment, water and sanitation, and health. The programs are implemented by SDC and SECO jointly with international and local partner organizations. The Swiss presence in Kosovo includes a contingent of the Army (Swisscoy) and programs of the Federal Office for Migration (FOM) and the Human Security Division (HSD).

15 years of Swiss cooperation for water in Kosovo