Interview with Jelena Ivanić (Center for Environment) and Ulrich Eichelmann (Riverwatch) on the campaign Save the Blue Heart of Europe launched by European organizations EuroNatur and Riverwatch, in cooperation with local partners in the Balkans and coordinated by the Center for Environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina, from Banja Luka.
In the interview, Jelena and Ulrich talk about the importance of river protection, public campaigns that focus on river protection, civic activism for river rescue and other topics.
All rivers in BiH are endangered, how can we preserve them?
Ulrich Eichelmann: Almost all rivers and streams are threatened by the development of hydropower. In our last survey in the autumn of 2020, we found data for about 3,500 hydropower projects in the Balkans. So the idea of stopping them all is a bit crazy, but the only real and crucial task. The only way to save rivers in BiH and the Balkans is through a combination of different approaches. We need activists in the field, legal experts, scientists, artists; we have to work at the local, regional and international level. We need all that. If only one of these approaches is missing, success will become questionable. Above all, it takes passion, knowledge, creativity, focus and the attitude of a marathon athlete. I think that in the Blue Heart of Europe campaign we are close to filling in all these parts. So I believe we will save more rivers than we thought we would just a few years ago when we launched the campaign. We will save the Blue Heart of Europe for all of us!
What do you think is most needed to be done at this moment to improve the situation in the field?
Jelena Ivanić: It is necessary for the population to be even more active and to say clearly and loudly ”NO” to such harmful projects in their local communities and in front of their houses.
We expect the RS and FBiH Entity Governments to implement the Declaration on River Protection as soon as possible, which was adopted by the RS National Assembly and the House of Representatives of the Federation BiH Parliament, where the Conclusion on a complete ban on small hydropower plants (MHE) was adopted.
How important is it to speak publicly and point out the situation with rivers in BiH, so that the public understands the gravity of the situation?
Jelena Ivanić: The condition of BiH rivers is currently very bad, in addition to the construction of hydroelectric power plants that permanently destroy them; there are many other problems with municipal water pollution and waste, gravel, concreting banks and many others. If this continues, we will no longer have the rivers we are proud of, but we will have destroyed, dirty or drained rivers. This is a very important topic that needs to be talked about all the time and it is important that citizens become aware that water can disappear or that access to water can become difficult, that the price of water can become more expensive and etc. All this brings with it the endangerment and disappearance of biodiversity.
How important are public campaigns for the protection of rivers, as through them the rivers are getting attention?
Ulrich Eichelmann: Public action and working with the media are key tools for achieving our goal – we need to make the problem visible. Investors and authorities who often work illegally ‘’hate’’ being in the center of attention because they are used to working behind the curtains. Both domestic and international media are important for saving rivers. This is what we are doing in the Blue Heart of Europe campaign: making people aware of the problem and making it clear to the country’s decision-makers that they are being watched.
What are the positive and what are the negative examples of people’s attitudes towards rivers?
Jelena Ivanić: A positive attitude towards rivers is any use of the river in a way that does not significantly impair water quality, biodiversity and the river environment. Some examples of such use are sports activities, traditional activities and tourism in the context of sustainable development. All of these activities can also lead to new jobs and generating income for the community.
On the other hand, negative examples are the overexploitation of rivers and river potential, especially for personal gain, to the detriment of local communities and the state, which is often the case.
Local civic activism for river protection is very present in BiH, how important is this type of activism for saving rivers?
Jelena Ivanić: Civic activism is important in every segment of society, including the protection of rivers. Until citizens wake up and start pointing out the problems and get actively involved in solving them, there will be no positive changes and improvement of the quality of life in our society.
There are many local communities that have risen to save their rivers and are ready to preserve and defend them from the interests of individuals. There are more and more such examples and I hope that they are still to come in the following period, because citizens are becoming ever more aware of the harmfulness of such projects. The examples of hydropower construction so far clearly show how much damage there is in relation to the small or no benefit that local communities have.
What is the situation with rivers in the region, are they all endangered as in BiH? Ulrich Eichelmann: In the entire Balkans, basically all rivers and streams are endangered by the development of hydropower, even the smallest. The leading countries are Serbia, BiH, Albania, Northern Macedonia and Kosovo *. However, we noticed one very positive change: in our last update of the hydropower database (every two years we revise plans to build hydropower in the region) – we found data for about 3,500 hydropower projects. That is a lot, but the number of those that are under construction is important, and we can clearly see that fewer and fewer hydroelectric power plants are actually being built. After peaking at 188 hydropower plants under construction in 2017, we had 108 in 2020. It’s still too much, but to my knowledge, that number is still declining slightly. So, our campaign is having an effect.
A big concert is being held in Banja Luka in September, featuring Rundek & Ekipa, as well as Partibrejkers, and the main slogan of the concert is “Freedom to the rivers!”. How important is it to let rivers flow freely? What are some other messages that you will send from the concert in Banja Luka?
Ulrich Eichelmann: First, rivers evoke strong emotions, rivers are part of our home and that’s why I love having artists involved in this campaign. Music talks about emotions and the fight for rivers is often very emotional. Bands in Banja Luka are our important ambassadors. The struggle for free rivers is our key task. This is not just about rivers, their biodiversity and the people who live next to them. It is also about fighting corruption and mismanagement in this country. It is a struggle for a fairer and more democratic future. It is a battle for the future of the country and the question: “What do we want our country to look like?”.
We remind you that the concert for the preservation of the rivers of the Balkans, which will feature Partibrejkers and Rundek & Ekipa, organized by the Center for Environment as part of the regional campaign Save the Blue Heart of Europe, will be held on September 25th at Kastel Fortress in Banja Luka.
More information about the concert can be found at THIS LINK.