Environment

Protest against small hydropower plants to be held in Belgrade on Sunday

Photo: Facebook/Odbranimo reke Stare planine

Published

January 21, 2019

Country

Comments

comments icon

0

Share

Published:

January 21, 2019

Country:

Comments:

comments icon

0

Share

The initiative Defend the Rivers of Mt. Stara Planina will hold a rally to protest the construction of small hydropower plants (SHPPs) in Belgrade on Sunday, with the official start scheduled for 1 pm at the Studentski Trg square. The only demand is to immediately halt the construction of all run-of-river SHPPs in Serbia, according to the organizers.

According to the initiative, the protest will be held over the construction of run-of-river SHPPs jeopardizing rivers, nature, and flora and fauna at a number of locations in Serbia, as well as due to the fact that none of the line institutions has attempted to stop the construction of SHPPs.

The rally will feature a range of speakers, with a protest march to the main government building on Nemanjina Street to begin at 2:30 pm.

Dušan Bodiroga, an administrator and volunteer of the Defend Rivers of Mt. Stara Planina, has called for a massive turnout at the rally.

“Let’s say ‘no’, loud and clear, to run-of-river SHPPs and corruption and crime,” Bodiroga wrote on social networks.

A number of professors, actors, and environmental activists from the country and abroad have turned to social media to urge citizens to take part in the protest. Many of them say that the protest in Belgrade on January 27 will be the largest-ever environmental gathering in the history of Serbia.

Ulrich Eichelmann, CEO of environmental non-governmental organization RiverWatch, warned in a video message that Balkan rivers are threatened by “a dam tsunami.”

This is especially the case in Serbia – “the guys are trying to steal your rivers. Please protest! There is a great opportunity on January 27, one o’clock,” he said.

https://www.facebook.com/dmbvideo1/videos/2191396537547099/?t=0

For three years now, the initiative Defend the Rivers of Mt. Stara Planina has been opposing the construction of run-of-river SHPPs on Mt. Stara Planina, some of which are planned in protected areas. In September 2018, the initiative organized a major rally in Pirot.

Ivan Karić, state secretary at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said in November last year that the ministry had prepared a draft law to ban the construction of SHPPs in protected areas.

Experts have also voiced opposition to SHPPs. The deans of the university schools of forestry, biology, geography, and mining and geology, as well as the director of the Siniša Stanković Institute of Biological Research, have sent an open letter to Minister of Environmental Protection Goran Trivan and Pirot Mayor Vladan Vasić expressing concern regarding the conservation of natural resources.

Comments (0)

Be the first one to comment on this article.

Enter Your Comment
Please wait... Please fill in the required fields. There seems to be an error, please refresh the page and try again. Your comment has been sent.

Related Articles

Third Von der Leyen European Commission green transition environment Teresa Ribera

Third of Von der Leyen’s next European Commission to handle green transition, environment

18 September 2024 - Spain's Teresa Ribera and Demark's Dan Jørgensen are Ursula von der Leyen's picks for the top energy jobs in the next European Commission

Conference ‘ESG, a way of life and doing business’ to be held in Belgrade on September 25

13 September 2024 - The conference 'ESG, a way of life and doing business' will take place in Belgrade on September 25 at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce

Serbia publishes draft environmental protection strategy green agenda for period 2024 - 2033

Serbia publishes draft environmental protection strategy – green agenda 2024-2033

11 September 2024 - The consultations will last until October 3, as announced by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Serbia

Stausholm Rio Tinto six promises people Serbia Jadar lithium project

Rio Tinto’s CEO makes six promises to people of Serbia regarding Jadar lithium project

09 September 2024 - Rio Tinto's CEO Jakob Stausholm visited western Serbia to promise that the Jadar project for a lithium mine and processing unit is safe