The defence of rivers and water: a highly symbolic struggle which in recent years has successfully mobilised very different layers of the societies of south-eastern Europe, bringing to light both potential and contradictions. An interview
Considered sacred by the Egyptians, despised in modern times, today vultures are present in all Balkan countries as a fundamental element of ecosystems. However, their future is put at risk by poisoning, transforming them into collateral victims of conflicts between man and nature
North Macedonia’s protected areas are of great ecological importance, but are increasingly exposed to the risk – among others – of fire. While political fragmentation and a shortage of personnel and resources pose considerable challenges, there has been significant progress. A report from the Šar Mountains National Park
Large carnivores are returning to populate more and more natural areas of the Old Continent: a success for the conservation of ecosystems, but also a cause of conflicts with the population. Coexistence is built by harmonising laws, good practices, and scientific knowledge. The Interreg LECA project moves in this direction
L’unica ricchezza di Topli Do, villaggio in via di spopolamento tra i boschi della Stara Planina, in Serbia, sono i suoi torrenti impetuosi. Quando nel 2019 una centralina idroelettrica stava per portarglieli via, i pochi abitanti rimasti non hanno esitato a erigere delle barricate. Da allora il villaggio vive un’insperata rinascita
Uno è un moderno corso d'acqua europeo, rigidamente sfruttato e regolamentato, l'altro è l'ultimo fiume in Europa a scorrere libero da argini e dighe. Un progetto dell'Accademia slovena delle Scienze e delle Arti racconta i fiumi Mura e Vjosa
The Adriaticaves project, part of the Interreg Adrion cooperation programme, aims to promote sustainable management of the immense speleological heritage scattered on both shores of the Adriatic, with particular attention to tourism with low environmental impact and disadvantaged territories
After Belgrade, Novi Sad. The new urban plan threatens the banks of the Danube and a natural area that "lets the river breathe", essential in case of flooding. The city administration continues at full speed along the concrete road
On June 13 the Albanian government committed to establishing a National Park dedicated to the Vjosa, the last major European river free from embankments and dams. The decision follows almost ten years of international mobilisation
The Amazon of Europe bike trail makes it possible to cycle over 1000 km along a cycle path that winds between rivers and forests, from Austria to Serbia
Scientific research and good practices. These are the two main elements that for some years have brought together researchers and volunteers from Italy, Spain, Greece, Albania, Croatia, and Slovenia in the fight to safeguard the protected natural areas of the Mediterranean from plastics
"The Adriatic is the final common destination of the waters of the whole region, and therefore must be safeguarded with a common method and as a common good". The CrossWater project looks to the two Adriatic shores and the sustainable management of water services
The results of the latest surveys on the Balkan lynx, present only in the mountains of North Macedonia, Albania, and Kosovo, do not bode well for the future of one of the most endangered mammals in Europe
Un tribunale amministrativo della Slovenia ha fermato la costruzione della diga di Mokrice, sulla Sava: il danno ambientale supera di gran lunga i benefici energetici della nuova centrale, fortemente voluta dal governo. Ma nel tratto sloveno del grande fiume molte altre nuove centrali sono in progetto o già costruite
In Slovenia, as in the rest of the world, Covid-19 has upset the dynamics of youth activism, including the environmental one, which was in full swing before the pandemic. Despite the assembly ban, the closed universities, and the economic crisis, environmentalists have achieved a historic referendum victory with another unexpected consequence: to take root in the rural country, traditionally impervious to mobilisations
On Sunday 11 July, with an overwhelming majority — and a high turnout — the Slovenes rejected the new law on water, which would have made it easier to build along the banks of rivers and on the coasts. A heavy defeat for right-wing prime minister Janez Jansa
Una controversa modifica della legge sull'acqua voluta dal governo renderà più facile costruire lungo le rive dei fiumi e sulla costa. Falliti i tentativi dell'opposizione di bloccare la riforma, agli ambientalisti resta la carta del referendum. Tra gli ecologisti e il ministro dell'Ambiente Andrej Vizjak, accusato di conflitto di interesse per il suo passato nell'idroelettrico, si apre l'ennesimo fronte
In Europe, the period 2020-2021 was to mark the turning point in the fight against plastic waste, one of the most urgent problems of our century. Then came the new Coronavirus: with masks, gloves, and anti-contagion packaging, the risk of a step back is increasingly concrete
Tailing ponds are among the largest and most dangerous structures engineered by humanity, but their operation is virtually unknown to those who don’t live in their vicinity. Europe is no less at risk from incidents than the rest of the world
As the eyes of the whole world are fixed on the pandemic, vigilance over environmental abuse is loosening. A study by the NGO Arnika documents the situation between Central-Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and the Balkans
