The Javorska river, one of the few dozen rivers that would be endangered if the planned construction of small hydropower plants is realized. Village of Topli Do, ''Stara Planina'' mountain, August 16, 2020.
ENG
"In a mindless rush for several kilowatt hours of electricity coming from renewable sources, about 2,800 projects for the construction of small hydropower plants were approved on the stretch from Slovenia to Greece. In Serbia, one of the leading countries in the region in this trend, the construction of 850 such power plants is planned. They are mostly derivation type, known in the industry as the most destructive for the ecosystem, "writes the author Nevena Grubac in her paper" Small hydropower plants: The silent ecocide of Serbia ".
According to Prof. Ratko Ristic, Dean of the Faculty of Forestry in Belgrade, in his scientific paper "Small hydropower plants - insignificant benefit and huge environmental damage", Serbia is the poorest country in the Balkans when it comes to indigenous surface waters. Inspite all of this, mass construction of SHPPs has begun on such rivers. Also, if all the planned SHPPs are built, only 2-3.5% of Serbia's needs in the energy balance would be provided on an annual level. This means that most of the quality watercourses of the hilly and mountainous region would be devastated.
The negative consequences are incalculable, and include the destruction of biodiversity not only in the Balkans, but in the whole of Europe, with local communities also being endangered.
This ongoing project explores the devastating impact of small hydropower plants on mountain rivers and documents the struggles of local communities and environmental activists to preserve the rivers from destruction and greed.
SRB
„U bezumnoj jurnjavi za nekoliko kilovat časova električne energije koji dolaze iz obnovljivih izvora, na potezu od Slovenije do Grčke odobreno je oko 2.800 projekata za izgradnju MHE. U Srbiji je, kao u jednoj od vodećih zemalja regiona u ovom trendu, u planu izgradnja frapantnih 850 ovakvih elektrana. Pretežno su derivacionog tipa, poznatog u industriji kao vrste najpogubnije za ekosistem.“, piše autorka Nevena Grubač u svom tekstu „Mini hidroelektrane: Tihi ekocid Srbije“.
Prema pisanju profesora Ratka Ristića, dekana Šumarskog fakulteta u Beogradu, u naučnom radu „Male hidroelektrane – beznačajna korist i ogromna ekološka šteta“, Srbija je najsiromašnija zemlja Balkana kada su u pitanju autohtone površinske vode, a upravo na ekološki i hidrološki najvrednijim rečicama zapoĉelo je sprovođenje masovne gradnje MHE. Takođe, ukoliko bi se sve planirane MHE izgradile, bilo bi obezbeđeno svega 2-3,5% potreba u energetskom bilansu Srbije na godišnjem nivou, ali bi to znaĉilo da je devastiran najveći deo kvalitetnih vodotokova brdsko-planinskog regiona.
Negativne posledice su nesagledive, a obuhvataju uništenje biodiverziteta ne samo na Balkanu, već u celoj Evropi, a ugrožene su i lokalne zajednice.
Ovaj tekući projekat istražuje razarajući uticaj malih hidroelektrana na planinske reke i dokumentuje borbu lokalnih zajednica i ekoloških aktivista za očuvanje reka i života od uništenja i pohlepe.
The picnic area "Krivi vir" and river Temštica are one of the many gems that would be endangered if small hydropower plants are built 18 km upstream in the village of Topli Do. Village of Temska, August 16, 2020.
A man is seating next to the river in the mountain village of Topli Do, near the city of Pirot in south-eastern Serbia. May 24, 2019.
Vukadinka is looking out the window while talking about the uncertain situation in the village. Village of Topli Do, September 16, 2019.
A local resident collects water redirected from Rakitska river to prepare food for gathered activists who came from all parts of the country to the village of Rakita, a place that has become synonymous with fight for river freedom in Serbia. August 15, 2020.
A group of young boys are sitting on the football pitch in the village of Rakita in south-eastern Serbia, while the construction of a hydropower plant is in progress. This place has become synonymous with violation of all state laws, as the investor has continued building, despite the ban of the Administrative Court due to violation of regulations and destruction of the environment.
May 3, 2019.
The young man is extracting stones around the pipe that the investor of the small hydropower plant illegally buried in the riverbed. After the investor did not comply with the decision of the Inspection of the Ministry of Environment, which ordered him to remove the pipes from the riverbed, activists and local residents decided to enforce the law and damage the pipe in several places, open it and fill it with stones. Village of Rakita, August 15, 2020.
Village of Rakita, May 3, 2019.
Mother and daughter, both environmental activists, are sitting on the water intake structure of the hydropower plant after a pipe damage operation carried out by activists from across the country. Village of Rakita, August 15, 2020.
Mile. Village of Topli Do, September 13, 2019.
Pickaxes and hammer are lying in the Rakitska river a few hours before activists will use them to damage the pipes of the hydropower plant. Village of Rakita, August 15, 2020.
Aleksandar Panic is sitting by the fire close to the main bridge in the village of Topli Do, that local people and other activists are guarding 24h. They do not want to allow investors to start construction of the hydropower plant on the Javorska river. He is one of the main environmental activits in Serbia and together with his organisation 'ORSP' are trying to stop constructions of hydropower plants across the country. Village of Topli Do, September 16, 2019.
Early morning in the village of Rakita in south-eastern Serbia, where environmental activists together with local residents have gathered to take out 300 meters of pipes buried in the ground and implement the decision of the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Environment. The investor was ordered to do so, but he has been evading it for months. Village of Rakita, August 15, 2020.
Damaged riverbed of the Rakitska river near the water intake structure. The construction of the derivation type small hydropower plants consists of burring the large pipes in the riverbed in the length of several hundred meters to a few kilometers, and causes the devastation of the forest and the environment. Village of Rakita, August 15, 2020.
The damaged pipe in the Rakitska riverbed after activists dug it out, opened it and filled it with stones and rubble, as a reaction to the decision of the Inspection of the Ministry of Environment. Village of Rakita, August 15, 2020.
