President Iliana Iotova Took Part in the ESG & Friends Forum

Sustainable resource management is a crucial condition for economic development — a conclusion reached at the fifth edition of the ESG & Friends forum. Experts presented data showing that global water and food crises are worsening, with some 1.4 billion people already migrating northwards as a result.

It was noted that Bulgaria, for example, ranks among the worst in Europe for wasting drinking water. In some areas, network leakages exceed 80 per cent, compared with just 5 per cent in Netherlands.

Experts recommended improved management of national water resources and the introduction of statistics to track how well supplied each municipality is with water. The forum was also attended by President Iliana Iotova.

Iliana Iotova, President of the Republic of Bulgaria:
“Water shortages in Bulgaria are deepening and affecting thousands of people. Only last year, water losses exceeded 60 per cent — perhaps one of the highest rates in the EU, if not the highest. For yet another year, many settlements remain without access to water, which in the 21st century is truly a very serious diagnosis.”