BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 15. The European Bank
for Reconstruction and Development is supporting Serbia in
strengthening climate resilience and improving long-term water
security through the Pambukovica dam project in western Serbia, a
major investment in sustainable water infrastructure, Trend reports
via the Bank.
The initiative will be financed by an EBRD sovereign loan of up
to €66 million to the Republic of Serbia and will support the
construction and operation of a multipurpose dam and reservoir near
the village of Pambukovica in the flood-prone Kolubara River
basin.
The project is designed to significantly reduce flood risks in
one of the country’s most vulnerable regions, helping to protect
communities, homes, agricultural land and critical infrastructure.
The area has repeatedly suffered from extreme weather events,
including the severe floods of 2014, underscoring the need for
long-term climate-resilient water management solutions.
Built as a modern, climate-adapted facility, the dam will
initially prioritise flood retention and river flow regulation,
with future capacity planned for irrigation use. It will also
incorporate ecological flow management, sediment control, and
measures to improve water quality, supporting healthier river
ecosystems and more sustainable land use across the wider
basin.
Once fully operational, the reservoir is expected to enable
irrigation systems covering more than 2,200 hectares of farmland,
helping local farmers better withstand droughts and increasingly
erratic rainfall patterns, while enhancing agricultural
productivity and climate resilience in the region.
The EBRD remains the leading institutional investor in Serbia,
with cumulative investments exceeding €10.8 billion across 407
projects, focusing on private sector competitiveness, green
transition and sustainable infrastructure.
