The Bioštica River, considered by many to be "heaven on earth" is safe from hydropower developments

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Last week, the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina decided to stop the development of two hydropower plants on the Bioštica River, HPP Kruševo and HPP Zeleni vir. This decision came just a few months after the Declaration for the Protection of Rivers in the Western Balkans has been signed by 31 organizations, including WWF.

Considered by many to be “heaven on earth”, the Bioštica River is a natural treasure. Although it runs for only 30 kilometres before it joins the Krivaja River, it supports tremendous biodiversity, both in water and on land. Flowing peacefully through lush forests and green meadows, the river is a shelter for numerous fish species and an important source of water for the surrounding nature and local communities.

The Declaration, signed in November 2019, lead to a significant increase in media activity, drawing public attention to the problem of hydropower development in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region, where more than 2,500 small hydropower plants are planned.

This decision is an important step in the goal to preserve the Western Balkan rivers from destruction. Without it, the Bioštica River would become just another case study of all the negative impacts of small hydropower plants. What was once “heaven on earth” would have become a series of pipes and concrete structures – luckily, this scenario is now out of the question.

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