ABSTRACT
Equitable sharing of groundwater resources between countries is a major challenge, especially in highly karstified terrains. In the karstic terrains of the External Dinarides water division takes place mainly below the surface, so maps of the spatial distribution of groundwater recharge, created by multi-parameter GIS methods, could be useful as one of the bases for water management. Such maps can be used for assessing the percentage in which the territories of bordering countries participate in recharging the shared aquifer. For the purpose of equitably sharing the karst aquifer on the south western edge of Skadar Lake (shared by Montenegro and Albania), the KARSTLOP method was applied. The method had previously been calibrated according to the nearby catchments of four terrestrial karst springs. The Recharge map obtained for the catchment area of sublacustrine springs allowed assessment according to which 291.7 million m3 of water infiltrates annually in Montenegrin territory, and 19.2 million m3 in the Albanian part.
