The World Rafting Championship, which last week gathered hundreds of rafters from more than 20 countries in Banja Luka on the Vrbas river, is a great reminder of all the opportunities that free-flowing rivers provide to people, not only for the purpose of recreation and free use, but also for sustainable development.
Water is the greatest natural resource of our region, and countless rivers and streams provide benefits for people and represent incredible biological diversity. Precisely in order to preserve the freshwater treasures of Southeast Europe, the organizations The Nature Conservancy (TNC), WWF Adria and the Center for Environment, with numerous partners including rafting clubs, launched the Initiative for the permanent protection of fresh waters.
Year after year, this initiative grows and there are already several examples of permanent protection in Montenegro and Croatia. Encouraged by these successes, in cooperation with relevant institutions and local organizations, the creators of the initiative are actively working to establish new river protected areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.
“In BiH, we are working to protect the upper reaches of the Neretva river, which form diverse habitats where numerous rare and endemic plant and animal species live that need urgent protection. That is why in June 2021 we launched an initiative to establish two new protected areas on the Neretva. While we wait for the results of the research, we hope that these protected areas will be the first example of permanent protection of fresh waters in Bosnia and Herzegovina“, said Jelena Ivanić from the Center for the Environment.
Tamara Preininger Horvat from TNC emphasized that only through careful management and protection can we ensure an increase in biodiversity while simultaneously supporting all the social values that freshwater ecosystems have for the entire community.
“We see a permanent conservation status of fresh waters as the long-term protection of these valuable ecosystems and all the values they have. In our work, we try to apply this way of thinking in order to protect some of the best-preserved rivers in the world, which are crucial for the living world that depends on them“, said Tamara Preininger Horvat from TNC.
Irma Popović Dujmović from WWF Adria points out that rafters and rafting clubs have proven to be real allies and the best ambassadors for free-flowing rivers.
“Together we want to change the way people experience rivers to reconnect them with nature and to ensure the long-term protection of our most important natural resources.”
While we enjoy the sportsmanship of the participants attending the championship, let’s remind ourselves that it has been proven that just two hours a week spent in nature can have a significant positive impact on our health, stress reduction and general physical and mental well-being.
For these and many other benefits, we must work together to protect our freshwater treasures and make sure they are well managed!