Annual Report 2018 EuroNatur Foundation

Photo: Theresa Schiller - Mavrovo National Park
For rivers: Save the Blue Heart of Europe
Geographical location in Europe
Streams and rivers in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, North Macedonia,
Kosovo and northern Greece. Key areas of the “Save the
Blue Heart of Europe” campaign are the Mavrovo National
Park (Map p. 5, No. 14) in North Macedonia, the Vjosa river
in Albania and the Aoos river in Greece (Map p. 5, No. 17),
the Sava river in Slovenia and Croatia (Map p. 5, No. 7),
as well as a number of ecologically particularly valuable
rivers in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Status
The “Blue Heart of Europe” beats on the Balkans. Between
Slovenia in the north and Greece in the south there are still
intact rivers and river landscapes the likes of which have long
since been destroyed in central Europe. They are hotspots of
biodiversity and unique elements of Europe’s natural heritage.
However, more than 3,000 hydropower plants are either
planned or already under construction in the Balkans, often
without a credible Environmental Impact Assessment. A
recent study has shown that a significantly greater number
of international banks than previously thought are investing
in hydropower plants in the Balkans. The main providers of
finance include the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB)
and the World Bank as well as numerous commercial banks.
Many of the hydropower projects are planned in protected
areas. In 2013 EuroNatur and Riverwatch in cooperation
with local partners started the “Save the Blue Heart of
Europe” campaign.
Objectives
Our aim is to preserve the beauty and ecological diversity
of the Balkan rivers. Plans for hydropower expansion must
urgently take into consideration aspects of nature conservation
and species protection. We endeavour to halt all
dam projects in the campaign’s focal areas, for example at
the Albanian Vjosa river, one of the last remaining major
wild rivers in Europe. At the national and international
levels we aim to raise awareness of the destructive impacts
of hydropower plants on nature and to stop banks
from further investing in hydropower expansion in the
Balkans and get them to support the use of alternative
energy sources instead, such as solar energy.
Selected activities in 2018
Strengthened reasoning for protection of rivers
We commissioned an expert report which showed that solar
and wind power on the Balkans can deliver several times
the amount of energy that the planned hydropower plants
could generate.
In late 2018 we published the Eco-Masterplan for the Balkan
Rivers. Based on the criteria of intactness, species diversity and
protected status of the river landscapes, the Eco-Masterplan
defines no-go areas for hydropower. Our aim is to achieve that
international financial institutions commit to not funding
hydropower projects in the no-go areas. A total of 80,000 km
of rivers were scientifically assessed for the plan. The masterplan
also integrated the accumulated knowledge on Balkan
rivers we have generated by means of numerous studies
since the commencement of the campaign.
In June 2018, experts commissioned by the Bern Convention
– one of Europe’s most important conventions relating to
nature conservation – gained a first-hand impression on site
of the risks posed to the Vjosa river by hydropower projects.
Albania is a signatory to the Bern Convention. We had
repeatedly highlighted to the Bern Convention the urgency
of the “Vjosa case” and had submitted an official complaint
with regard to the unbridled expansion of hydropower.
Our campaigns
Annual Report 2018
20
26