{"id":9777,"date":"2026-06-06T10:12:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T08:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shukalb.al\/?p=9777"},"modified":"2026-06-06T10:27:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T08:27:10","slug":"albanian-delegation-contributes-to-key-discussions-at-the-2026-danube-water-forum-in-sofia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shukalb.al\/?p=9777&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Albanian Delegation Contributes to Key Discussions at the 2026 Danube Water Forum in Sofia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Albanian Delegation Contributes to Key Discussions at the 2026 Danube Water Forum in Sofia<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Participants from the Albanian water sector at the 2026 Danube Water Forum
Photo Credit: IAWD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 2026 Danube Water Forum, held from 20\u201322 May in Sofia, Bulgaria, brought together water sector professionals, policymakers, utilities, development partners, young professionals, and private sector representatives from across the Danube region and beyond. Organized under the theme \u201cFrom Vision to Action: Building a Water Resilient Danube Region,\u201d<\/em> the Forum focused on strengthening resilience through innovation, regional cooperation, utility performance, workforce development, and sustainable water management.<\/p>\n

The event served as a key platform for knowledge exchange and dialogue on the future of water and wastewater services in the region, addressing critical topics such as climate resilience, asset management, water loss reduction, wastewater treatment, governance, and utility partnerships.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Gerta Lubonja, Chair of the Water Regulatory Authority of Albania (left), during the session \u201cSpotlight on Bulgaria: Status Quo and the Region’s Road to Resilience\u201d
Photo Credit: IAWD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A strong Albanian delegation participated actively in the Forum, representing institutions and organizations from across the country\u2019s water sector, including the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, the National Water Supply and Sewerage Agency (AKUK), the Water Regulatory Authority (WRA), water utility companies, private sector representatives, and SHUKALB.<\/p>\n

Albanian representatives contributed to several important sessions throughout the Forum program. Among the featured speakers was Gerta Lubonja, Chair of the Water Regulatory Authority of Albania, who participated as a panelist in the session \u201cSpotlight on Bulgaria: Status Quo and the Region’s Road to Resilience.\u201d<\/em> The session explored sector reforms, financial sustainability, operational performance, and climate resilience across the region, bringing together regulators, utilities, and sector leaders from several countries.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Evis Gjebrea, Deputy General Director of Tirana Water Utility, during the session \u201cResilient Assets: Build Smart or Fail Expensively\u201d
Photo Credit: IAWD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another Albanian contribution came from Evis Gjebrea, Deputy General Director of Tirana Water Utility, who participated in the session \u201cResilient Assets: Build Smart or Fail Expensively.\u201d<\/em> Her contribution focused on asset ownership and resilience in utility management, alongside regional experts discussing infrastructure sustainability, innovation, and digitalization.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Armela Gremshi, YWP Albania during a session of Video Messages from YWPs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Forum also highlighted the growing role of young professionals and regional cooperation in shaping the future of the water sector. Armela Gremshi, Project Planning Engineer at Berat Regional Water Supply and Sewerage Company, represented Young Water Professionals (YWP) Albania and participated in the pre-conference meetings of the YWP network held on 19 May 2026. Her participation underscored the importance of engaging the next generation of water professionals in regional dialogue and collaboration. Broader discussions throughout the Forum emphasized the importance of climate adaptation, digital transformation, workforce development, and stronger utility partnerships to ensure resilient and sustainable services across the Danube region.<\/p>\n

The participation of the Albanian delegation at the 2026 Danube Water Forum reaffirmed Albania\u2019s ongoing commitment to regional cooperation, sector modernization, and the exchange of knowledge and best practices with regional and international partners.<\/p>\n

SHUKALB remains committed to supporting professional development, strengthening institutional collaboration, and promoting innovation and resilience within Albania\u2019s water sector.<\/p>\n

For more details, visit: VoD – Bangaranga and Thank You Sofia!<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
2026 Danube Water Forum participants
Photo Credit: IAWD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Albanian Delegation Contributes to Key Discussions at the 2026 Danube Water Forum in Sofia The 2026 Danube Water Forum, held from 20\u201322 May in Sofia, Bulgaria, brought together water sector<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[213],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newsletter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shukalb.al\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shukalb.al\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shukalb.al\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shukalb.al\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shukalb.al\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9777"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/shukalb.al\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9777\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9785,"href":"https:\/\/shukalb.al\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9777\/revisions\/9785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shukalb.al\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shukalb.al\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shukalb.al\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}