The Hydro-Meteorological Bureau informed today that the level of lake Prespa declined by a centimeter and a half in a day, and is now 1.52 meters below the December average. The level is 50 centimeters below what is considered the bare minimum needed to preserve the lake and its region as a biological unit.

Lake Ohrid, which is linked to Prespa underneath the Galicica mountain, is also 23 centimeters down – one centimeter below its minimum. Of the three major lakes in Macedonia, only lake Dojran, which is fed by a aqueduct, and is not used for hydro production, is 2,64 meters above average.

The Bureau said that most rivers are also below average, except for Pcinja. The fall and winter have been unusually dry so far, and the lakes have been used extensively for energy production during the summer. These are the two main factors that contribute to the dramatic situation Macedonia is facing.