Hoping to raise public awareness about the devastating environmental impact of small hydropower plants, as well as the “unscrupulousness” and “greed” of those who approve and develop such projects, NGO SharaWatch and the Union of Cartoonist of Serbia – FECO have organized an international cartoon contest themed “Mini Hydropower Plants – Maximum Destruction.”

The “Mini Hydropower Plants – Maximum Destruction” contest, which was open to both professional and amateur cartoonists from Serbia and around the world, attracted some 350 works by over 100 artists from 40 countries, and the best ones received awards.

Redžić: authorities sit idly by as investors destroy rivers and biodiversity

According to Nebojša Redžić of SharaWatch, whose mission is to improve environmental protection systems at the local, national and global levels, the authorities sit idly by, support, and, to put it mildly, participate in the devastation of mountains, rivers, streams, and forests. This, he warns, allows investors in small hydropower plants to put rivers, streams, and springs into pipes, destroying sources drinking water, riverbeds, and biodiversity.

2nd Prize – Esmaeil Babaeil IRAN

The best way, according to Redžić, to unmask this greed, unscrupulousness, profit, plunder, lies, bribery, and dirty money is with spirit, humor, and cartoons, and that is how this contest came about.

The cartoons will be exhibited at Belgrade’s Dorćol Platz on January 28

An exhibition of the cartoons will be held at Belgrade’s Dorćol Platz on January 28, according to Redžić.

Honorable mention – Milenko Kosanovic (1948-2020) Serbia

Two cartoonists from Serbia split the top prize

The first prize in the contest was split by two cartoonists from Serbia, Tošo Borković and Vladan Nikolić, while the second prize went to Esmaeil Babaei from Iran, and the third to Lazo Sredanović from Montenegro.

DIPLOMA Diego Gelmetti Argentina

The organizers also awarded six diplomas to artists from Serbia, Ukraine, Slovakia, and Argentina, while Milenko Kosanović (1948 – 2020) was given an honorable mention.

Besides Redžić, the jury included cartoonists Jugoslav Vlahović and Zoran Tovirac, as well as Iva Marković, founder of water protection initiative Pravo na vodu (the Right to Water), and Ulrich Eichelmann, CEO of RiverWatch, an Austria-based a society for the protection of rivers.

DIPLOMA – Sava Babić Serbia