Skopje, 5 August 2025 (MIA) – Minister of Education and Science Vesna Janevska expects that a project will be approved to provide funds for the procurement of instruments for the Seismological Observatory, and then resolve the issue facing this institution - closure of 13 seismic stations across the country.  

As the three-year international initiative to monitor the movement of the Adriatic plate - AdriaArray ends, the country will be left at the beginning of 2026 without the network of 13 seismic stations that monitor seismic activity, i.e. the spatial and temporal distribution of earthquakes.

As part of this project supported by ORFEUS (Observatories and Research Facilities for European Seismology), whose mission is to promote seismology in the Euro-Mediterranean area, 13 temporary seismic stations have been installed since 2023, constantly monitoring seismic activity on the territory of the country and in the border regions, as well as the seismicity of the entire planet.  

"This is a pressing issue and a very important one because we are a quake-prone area. The German government will withdraw its instruments because the project is ending," said Janevska after the Seismological Observatory at the Faculty of Natural Sciences alerted of an impending critical situation for the institution due to a lack of equipment and staff.

In response to reporters' questions at Tuesday's press conference presenting the results of the state graduation exam, the Minister said she had met with the director of the Seismological Observatory several times, discussing the issue and how the Ministry of Education and Science could help.

"It's about ensuring the safety of all citizens of this country. I am very pleased that when I was looking into the applications for scientific research projects, I saw that the Seismological Observatory has and, according to the information I receive from the commission, there is a very high chance that they will get this project, which will provide part of the funds to purchase a certain number of instruments. If that is the case, I cannot predict, but I hope that it will be so, little by little we will cover something, and then we will continue to resolve the issue that I consider urgent and very important," Janevska pointed out. 

The thirteen seismic stations currently make up the telemetric network of the Seismological Observatory at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and seismic monitoring is also available on Lake Kozjak - at the Kozjak and St. Petka dams and at a site in the village of Belica on the lakebed and the Knezhevo dam.  

ORFEUS will cease activities in Macedonia in March to continue the project in other countries, which puts the Observatory at risk of closing all 13 seismic stations because they will be left with outdated and, practically, non-functional instruments. 

The Observatory needs new licensed software, new computer equipment and seismometers, i.e. at least ten seismic stations to monitor underground activities in real time.

Head of the Seismological Observatory, Katerina Drogreshka, said in a recent interview with MIA that such a situation would threaten the Observatory's seismological service, i.e. the mandatory seismic monitoring.

"As of next year, we will be left without a single seismic station and no appropriate equipment for monitoring seismic activity, and for a seismically active territory like ours, in which moderate to strong earthquakes are frequent, it is a truly increased risk for the population and infrastructure from a strong earthquake. Technology is moving forward, the world is moving forward, we are trying to keep up, but we are coming to a situation where we cannot. We definitely need help now. Failure to monitor seismic activity can cause an unpleasant situation in the country in terms of buildings and risks to the safety of citizens," the head of the Seismological Observatory told MIA. 

Photo: MIA