The Hydrometric Network for Real-Time Monitoring and Reporting is Completed

15 March 2024

The Hydrometeorological Institute of Kosovo (HIMK) has finalized one of the most important projects in the field of hydrology in Kosovo. This activity was carried out within the framework of the FLOWS program, supported by the World Bank. The project included: the purchase of advanced technology equipment for hydrological monitoring, the replacement of outdated systems and technologies with new ones, real-time access to data, as well as online transfer of such data via GPRS.

At 7 of the main hydrometric stations: Gjonaj (Drini i Bardhë), Grykë e Rugovës (Bistrica e Pejës), Klinë (Lumi Klina), Leposaviç (Ibri), Nedakoc (Sitnica), Hani Elezit (Lepenci) and Viti (Morava e Binçës), camera systems have been installed for measuring river flows, which include: measuring the river profile, measuring the river's surface speed, water level, calculating river discharges, storing data, and remote transmission of measurement data and images. Also, through these devices, it is possible to implement a reliable measuring system during flood events, real-time discharge measurements and intelligent alerting, as well as cross-sectional profile measurements through the innovative handheld laser measuring device.

Through this project, 15 hydrometric stations have transitioned from manual measurement and data provision to automatic operation. At all these stations, "flood thresholds" have also been established, along with the automatic sending of SMS alerts during floods.

Part of the project is also the DischargeApp application, which allows river flow measurements to be made using smartphone cameras by calculating surface speed through images and videos over a few seconds, determining the water level and surface flow speed. This data, combined with other profile information, enables the calculation of river discharge.

All measured data and images recorded by the devices can be easily transmitted to the cloud via GSM, SMS, or WiFi.