Protest rally for the defense of the Neretva River and its basin from new hydropower plants

 

The Neretva River in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo credits: Robert Oroz

NERETVA IS BLEEDING AND NEEDS OUR HELP! #neretva

When? 11.11.2023. (Saturday) 11:55pm CEST
Where? Trg državnosti 1, Konjic city, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Despite the resistance of the local population, the academic community and the BiH public, the construction of the Ulog hydropower plant continues, which threatens the entire upper reaches of the Neretva. The consequences for the river and the living world are already visible.

But this is not the only threat to the survival of the Neretva and its tributaries. If we don't act immediately, 36 more hydropower plants will be built in the basin of the beauty of Herzegovina. At one time, as many as 93 hydropower plants were planned to be built, but local communities and activist groups prevented the construction of dozens of HPPs with determined long-term struggles.

The brave guardians of the Buna, Neretvica, Doljanka, Drežanka and other Herzegovinian rivers showed that we can stop the force by fighting. It is up to us to fight for Neretva now.

We refuse to be remembered as the generation that did not fight for one of this country's most valuable rivers.

That's why we gather in Konjic on 11.11 this year, at a large protest meeting to mark a turning point in the battle for Neretva.  

We demand:

  • Urgent stop of the construction of HPP Ulog;
  • Cessation of the planned HPPs Bjelimići and Glavatičevo and 7 small hydropower plants in the area of the upper reaches of the Neretva;
  • Stopping the construction of HPP Gornji Horizonti;
  • Strict legal protection of the natural values of the Neretva basin;
  • Stopping the purchase of expensive coal for the needs of Elektroprivreda BiH from the private mines of the EFT and Lager companies - not only are the miners of the EPBiH mines impoverished with this purchase, but public money is also spent on companies that are destroying Neretva and Bliha with their projects.

COME AND JOIN THE DEFENSE OF THE EMERALD RIVER - so that the cold and clear Neretva flows forever!

More information here