NORTH-WEST REGION - Environment
Cross-border environmental problems
Due to the closure of some industries, environmental pollution has diminished in recent years, but some parts of the region still suffer from severe environmental problems. This is the case with Vratsa, which is recognised as one of the most environmentally polluted zones. The Ogosta is the most polluted river in the region. Another grave problem relates to the Danube river, where the environmental conditions have worsened substantially due to local and cross-border sources of pollution.
Environmental conditions are under the supervision of experts from the three regional inspectorates for environmental and river protection in Vidin, Montana and Vratsa. Many volunteer organisations also contribute to the process of environmental protection.
With the exception of Vratsa, the population and the economy of the North-western region do not suffer from a shortage of drinking water. The local authorities in Vratsa are currently cooperating with the responsible ministries in order to find a solution to this problem. The per capita consumption of drinking water is still below the national average.
The treatment of different types of waste is one of the severe problems that the region faces. Due to the lack of resources, waste management, regardless of any national programmes, is not yet at an acceptable level. Nevertheless, many municipalities have begun to take serious measures to resolve these difficulties.
All settlements in the region have electricity supplies, while some industrial enterprises are connected to the national gas pipeline. The village of Chiren has the largest natural gas storage facility in the country.
Almost all settlements in the region have access to the telephone network. At the end of 2002, the number of telephone posts (including the installed direct, party-line and supplementary telephone apparatus to the settlements' telephone exchanges) was 184 517 of which 88% for households.
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