For many years it has been the secret knowledge of “insiders” – riverine communities, a few NGO representatives, fly fishers, kayakists: the Blue Heart of Europe beats on the Balkan Peninsula. Nowhere else on the continent can one find such a tremendous number and variety of pristine, wild rivers, crystal clear streams, extensive gravel banks, untouched alluvial forests, deep gorges, spectacular waterfalls, and even karstic underground rivers which mysteriously flood the surface during extreme rain fall and snow melt in autumn and spring. What’s more, these rivers are one of the most important hotspots for European biodiversity, especially fish and molluscs, hosting many threatened as well as endemic species. Rare vegetation communities and water depended fauna can be found not only in these very rivers, but also in adjacent alluvial habitats.
However, this unique European treasure is threatened. The rivers of the Balkans are to be dammed on a large scale. More than 570 hydropower plants are projected to be built in the next few years – commonly with support of businesses and loans from inside the European Union and beyond. Not even the most striking and valuable river stretches – even if located inside a national park – are to be spared. The Blue Heart of Europe is at risk of a heart attack.
This whole story is relatively unknown to the public and even to many experts in the fields of ecology and nature conservation. Through our international campaign we want to change this situation.
In our campaign, we concentrate on three Key Areas that are particularly valuable and thus need to be spared from hydroelectric development at all costs.
The Key Areas were chosen on the basis of the ecological quality and biodiversity of the river stretches (and their adjacent flood plains), as well as on the dimension and ecological impact of the planned hydropower and engineering projects in these areas.
Three local campaign teams, who are familiar with the environmental and cultural particularities of each project area, were established. With the support from the international coordination team composed of Riverwatch and EuroNatur, the local teams work on the ground, addressing the specific needs of the area and fostering the development of grass‐root initiatives.
Our vision for the Key Areas is not only to prevent ecological destruction through hydroelectric and navigational development but to create alternative visions for sustainable development of these areas, such as the designation as national parks. Protection and good management could trigger the development of sustainable nature tourism and add value through the valorization of rural products. Such developments have been experienced before in various national parks on all continents.
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