Development of Erosion Risk Zones in the Skopje Region, Republic of North Macedonia

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The project "Erosion Study and Action Plan for the City of Skopje" was initiated by the administration of the City of Skopje, as well as the expert community, after a catastrophic flood event occurred in August 2016 in the Skopje region, resulting in the loss of 22 lives and causing immense damage and losses. According to Article 135 of the Law on Water: "On the basis of technical documentation, the state administrative body competent for environment, the council of the municipalities of the City of Skopje and the water management enterprises for their respective areas, shall determine the boundaries of both the erosive area and the area endangered from erosion, and specify the measures and the activities pertaining to the protection of land from erosion and regulation of torrents." Based on this legal framework, a methodology was developed to define the actual and potential erosive areas. The starting point was the creation of an erosion map using the Erosion Potential Method, in which all identified erosive areas were considered and analyzed. To define the erosion risk, the erosion map was overlaid with critical infrastructure, inhabited areas, and main transport infrastructure. In the Skopje region, 5,874 ha of actual erosion risk areas and 36,332 ha of potential erosion risk areas were delineated as part of the Action Plan. The Action Plan proposed administrative measures and technical work, including prohibited and obligatory activities specific to actual and potential erosive areas.