Water means life and survival, irreplaceable resource and factor for development of the society as a whole
General characteristics of waters in the Republic of Macedonia
Around 2% of the territory of the Republic of Macedonia is under water cover. There are 35 rivers and 53 natural and artificial lakes. According to the quantities of water resources, Macedonia is an area with satisfactory water resources but with rather uneven distribution.
According to hydrographic division, there are four river basins on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia, namely: Vardar, Crn Drim, Strumica and Juzna Morava.
Legislative framework of water rights in the Republic of Macedonia
The basic legal act regulating this area is the Law on Waters (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia no. 87/08, 6/09, 161/09, 83/10, 51/11, 44/12, 23/13 and 163/13) and bylaws adopted on the basis of the Law on Waters. The Law on Waters is framework law which regulates the main principles for water resources management.
Water Departmentis organized through the following units: