Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Yesterday, the Parliament of the Republic of Srpska adopted the Declaration on River Protection, taking the first step towards systematic protection of rivers by agreeing to end small hydropower development. This decision is the result of years of work by many civic initiatives and civil society organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it is also only the beginning of a long and complicated process that follows.

The adopted declaration is based on the Declaration on the Protection of Rivers of Western Balkans, presented to the public in November 2019, at the international conference Legal and Practical Tools for the Protection of Rivers of Western Balkans and Its People organized by Arnika Association, Centre for the Environment from Banja Luka, and WWF Adria. The declaration calls for a moratorium on the construction of small hydropower plants, a revision of all existing contracts for their development, and an end to all incentives for these harmful projects.

"The decision of the Republic of Srpska Parliament is the first step in solving the problem of small hydropower plants. Demands set in the declaration now need to become part of regulations in order to formally and legally prevent further construction of small HPPs and to be able to proceed with a systematic revision of all contracts for their construction in the Republic of Srpska. Also, it is necessary to terminate all forms of incentives for these senseless and socially harmful projects within the current legislation", said Đorđe Stefanović from WWF Adria.

WWF Adria will continue to monitor the situation, and will insist the Governments of the Republic of Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (which adopted the same declaration in mid-2020) take concrete measures in ensuring the implementation of these decisions.

The official adoption of the declaration by the Parliaments of both entities significantly reduces the opportunities for continued devastation of rivers in Bosnia and Herzegovina and sends a message that the interests of privileged individuals cannot and must not be above public interest. Whether this will indeed be the case remains to be seen.