NEWS

Montenegro MPs Oppose Plan to Flood Tara Gorge (Planet Ark, Dec 15)

PODGORICA, Serbia and Montenegro - The parliament of Montenegro on Tuesday opposed government plans to build a dam that would flood part of the Tara River canyon, the deepest and longest canyon in Europe.
Only members of the ruling party voted against a declaration to protect the gorge, drawn up by 20 non-governmental organisations and signed by 10,000 people.
Parliament's vote was not binding, but puts added pressure on the government.
In recent protests, ordinary Montenegrins as well as environmental groups warned that the dam would turn the clear and wild waters of the Tara river, which locals call "the jewel of Europe", into "a swamp".
The 80 km (50 mile) canyon, part of the Durmitor National Park, features dense forests, sandy beaches, high cliffs and more than 80 caves. Some trees in the gorge are 50 metres high and over 400 years
old. The canyon is a United Nations World Heritage site and one of Montenegro's main tourist attractions, a magnet for rafting, canyoning and nature enthusiasts.
"This is a great victory for Montenegro's environmental conscience.
The river Tara has won freedom for ever," said Sinisa Stevovic of the group which started the petition.

"Our motive was to vote for something good for Montenegro," said Miodrag Ilickovic, a leading deputy for the government's junior coalition partner, which also voted against the project.
The dam would be built on the River Drina in the Serb half of neighbouring Bosnia and would flood 12 km of the canyon.
The Montenegrin government has said it could provide enough power to cut the energy deficit by one-third, saving the tiny republic of 650,000 people some 17 million euros a year.
The vote came as experts from the UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) were due in Montenegro to assess the controversial scheme.
The government of the Adriatic coast republic -- a self-declared"environmental state" betting on its tourist appeal -- says it will scrap the project if UNESCO is against it.

Parliament Adopts Tara Resolution

The parliament of Montenegro on 14 December opposed government plans to build a dam that

would flood part of the Tara River canyon, the deepest and longest canyon in Europe .
Only members of the ruling party voted against a declaration to protect the gorge, drawn up by 20

non-governmental organizations and signed by 10,000 people. Parliament's vote was not

Story by Ljubinka Cagorovic

Montenegrins Resist Plan to Flood Spectacular Gorge

MONTENEGRO: November 24, 2004

PODGORICA, Serbia and Montenegro - Montenegrins protested outside parliament on Tuesday urging the government to abandon plans to build a dam that would flood the most scenic part of its breathtaking Tara River canyon. PODGORICA, Serbia and Montenegro - Montenegrins protested outside parliament on Tuesday urging the government to abandon plans to build a dam that would flood the most scenic part of its breathtaking Tara River canyon.
Locals say the spectacular 80 km (50 mile) canyon, a United Nations World Heritage site, is the most beautiful in the world after Colorado 's Grand Canyon .

They fear a dam to be built in neighbouring Bosnia would turn the rapid Tara waters loved by rafters into "a swamp".

The Tara river canyon, part of the Durmitor National Park , features one of the deepest gorges in Europe , swathed in dense pine forests and lined with deep, clear lakes.

It is one of Montenegro 's main tourist attractions.

Parliament was debating a declaration on protection of the site, launched by a non-government organisation. More than one hundred activists gathered outside, distributing Tara calendars with the words "Tara, the tears of Europe " written on them.

The declaration was likely to be backed by the opposition parties and a junior coalition partner of Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic's Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS).

Djukanovic said that even if adopted, the declaration was not binding. He said the public was reacting emotionally and without the necessary facts.

"We do not need emotions but reason. We should protect our environmental heritage but we should not block future generations from building energy facilities," Djukanovic said.

Tara defenders said their concern was not purely emotional.

"The citizens did not sign the declaration on a whim, when we lose Tara we lose something we will never get back," said Sinisa Stevovic, one of the project's opponents.

The dam would be built on the River Drina in the Serb half of neighbouring Bosnia and flood about 12 km of the Tara canyon.

The Montenegrin government has said that would provide enough power to cut the republic's energy deficit by one third.

The Bosnian Serb government said its power company had spent $26 million in a feasibility study for the $480 million project but financing was still uncertain and an environmental report was also pending.

Djukanovic said the Montenegrin government was struggling to overcome a growing power shortage. He said power imports this year cost the tiny republic of 650,000 people some 50 million euros ($65.20 million).

A government spokesman said Montenegro, a self-declared "environmental state", would base its decision on the opinion of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) who were called to assess the plan.

"The government has clearly said it would build nothing if the UNESCO stand is negative," he said. Bosnia has also said that approving the project hinges on its environmental impact.

(additional reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic in Sarajevo)

REUTERS NEWS SERVICE

Story by Ljubinka Cagorovic

From the report of the International crisis group

Djukanovic is facing the first ever real challenge to his power in Montenegro . This is caused by tremendous negative public reaction to his government's decision to cooperate with the RS government in building a hydroelectric dam on the scenic Tara river , whose canyon is on the UNESCO heritage list. The canyon -- the second deepest in the world after the Grand Canyon -- is considered an ecological treasure. The public has responded across party lines in its opposition to the dam, and the DPS is isolated politically in the parliament. If any issue can bring down Djukanovic, this will be it. Yet Djukanovic may find it difficult to back down, as he enjoys support from two powerful financiers, Vuk Hamovic and Vojin Lazarovic, who have essentially monopolised the electricity resale market in the Balkans. Both men favour the dam, and both stand to earn enormous profits from its construction and from electricity resale. At present both Hamovic and Lazarovic also appear to be financing the DSS. Should Djukanovic fail to back down, his government might face a vote of no confidence in the parliament, which it would certainly lose. Should he back down, he faces retaliation from the two electricity magnates, both of whose support he depends on. Either way he faces a lose-lose scenario.

Djukanovic is further threatened by the electricity issue on another front. In order to operate profitably, the Podgorica aluminum plant ( KAP ) must purchase electricity at below market costs. Should Montenegro's Electric distribution company (EPCG) raise prices to market levels, KAP would be forced to lay of possibly more than a thousand workers, and even then might have difficulty being profitable. The Montenegrin government is under strong and ever-increasing pressure from the Word Bank, IMF, EU, and EBRD to raise electricity prices for KAP to market levels. These organizations appear to be moving closer to restricting support to Montenegro , should the government fail to raise electricity prices. If this happens a series of schemes crucial to Djukanovic's patronage network could unravel. These include any arrangements he may have to dispose of the profits made on reselling electricity to foreign countries. It could also damage any schemes connected to disposing of the profits accrued from selling subsidized aluminum. In other words, if Djukanovic succumbs to international pressure and raises prices, it could lead to the collapse of a house of cards and seriously damage his patronage network, costing him and his party political support.

In allen montenegrinischen Städten begann gestern die Unterzeichung einer Petition zur Rettung des Tara -Flußes

Eine Gruppe montenegrinischer Nichtregierungsorganisationen organisierte gestern die Unterzeichnung einer Petition gegen den Bau des Wasserkraftwerkes am Drina - Fluss in Bosnien - Herzegowina, weil das zur Überschwemmung eines Teils der Schlucht des Tara -Flusses in Montenegro führen würde, die von den Ökologen " Die Träne Europas" genannt wird, schreibt das in Podgorica erscheinende Blatt "Vijesti". Die Aktion benannt "Montenegro für den Tara - Fluss" wurde wegen der Notwendigkeit initiiert, mindestens sechs Tausend Unterschriften zu sammeln, damit die vorbereitete Deklaration über den Schutz des Tara -Flusses auf die Tagesordnung des Parlaments Montenegros gelangen könnte. Wir dürfen nicht erlauben, dass der Tara -Fluss nur eine Erinnerung bleibt, weil Montenegro wegen der unberührten Natur, alle Voraussetzungen hat, das attraktivste Touristikland im Mittelmeerraum zu werden", erklärte der Vorsitzende der Organisation "Most", zu Deutsch Brücke, Sinisa Stevovic. Neben zwei Tausend Unterschriften aus Montenegro, ein Tausend aus dem Ausland, sowie zahlreichen Briefen, haben die Aktion für die Rettung des Tara - Flusses bisher zahlreiche internationale Organisationen sowie die montenegrinischen Aussiedler unterstützt".

back