"We live in times of climate change, the manifestations of which are increasingly noticeable in our country. In such times and under these conditions, the adaptation of the water sector and its sub-sectors - water supply and sanitation and hydromelioration - must be a strategic priority." This was said by the Minister of Environment and Water Petar Dimitrov in his address to participants in the forum "Beyond the Water - Israel's Innovative Model for Water Management", organized by the Embassy of Israel in Bulgaria.

Along with the topic of climate change and its impact on the water management sector, other topics discussed concerned the possible measures to solve the problems of water scarcity in both countries and the need to use new modern technologies to improve access to water for the population.

In his speech, Minister Petar Dimitrov emphasized the fact that Bulgaria is poor in water resources, and water losses are large. Therefore, it is even more important to use the valuable water resource effectively and to modernize old facilities.

He highlighted the need to train staff in the field of water management, since the lack of such specialists is a serious problem for our country. “The key to change in water management in Bulgaria is the use of technologies to increase the efficiency of the remaining available water resources in the country,” said the Minister of Environment and Water.

Petar Dimitrov thanked the Embassy of Israel for organizing the forum, which provides an opportunity to share the experience of one of the leading countries in the world, which has successfully overcome the challenges associated with limited water resources, thanks to staff training, intelligent water management, and the implementation of innovations and groundbreaking technologies in the sector.