The Human Rights House Banja Luka provides full support to local residents and activists throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina who fight day and night with all their strength to preserve the environment and bravely act against irresponsible authorities that allow pollution and the shocking destruction of our natural beauty.
Polluting our rivers, forests, meadows and other natural God given gifts in many areas throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and the border areas has never been in greater expansion than it is now.
The Human Rights House Banja Luka appeals and calls on the authorities to stop the continuous violence against nature and stand up for the protection of its residents, not investors and suspicious procedures.
Unfortunately, now proud Una is on the agenda, which needs the support of the public more than ever. Later it will be too late.
The Human Rights House Banja Luka supports all those who tirelessly defend the source of the Una these days and oppose the construction of a hydroelectric power plant that threatens to permanently change this emerald queen of all the rivers. The fight for the river Una, in the village of Donja Suvaja, which is located in Croatia, not far from BH border, has been going on for days.
Citizens and activists from BiH, Croatia and Serbia stood up against the illegal construction of a small hydroelectric power plant, which, as they point out, would destroy the source of one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe.
Una, we are all protectors of your water.
We remind you that most of the Una course in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been declared a national park, which further emphasizes the importance of protecting this area. But also every other natural area!
And while the defense of Una continues, activities are also being conducted against excavation and mining in the villages of Prijedor and Barać, as well as in other locations.
Locals, environmental associations and socially responsible citizens are fighting at protest gatherings, but also through legal means.
Thus, the Center for Environment from Banja Luka, a member of the Human Rights House, filed a lawsuit against the decision of the Government of the Republic of Srpska, which initiates the process of granting a concession for the exploitation of coal at the Bukova Kosa deposit near Prijedor. This decision was made by the Government at the session of July 18, 2024, and thus was accepted the offer of the investor Drvo-export Ltd. from Teslić.
“The decision represents the first step towards the granting of a concession for exploitation and the eventual signing of a concession contract. However, the current activities at the deposit indicate that the exploitation and removal of coal has already begun, in quantities that exceed the quantities allowed for the needs of geological research”, the Center for Environment states.
According to them, in the past period, the Center, together with the vulnerable locals, contested all the decisions of the authorities concerning the granting and enabling the execution of concessions to “Drvo-export”, both with regard to the Bistrica deposit and the Bukova Kosa deposit.
The right to a healthy environment is one of the fundamental human rights.
All people have the right to live in an environment that does not endanger their health, well-being, their homes and the surrounding nature.
Nature conservation is important for our future generations, who have the right to grow up in a healthy environment, and not to take their first steps in a yard that has been excavated, look at columns of excavators, breathe polluted air and drink polluted water.
STOP the destruction of nature and the environment.
Photo: Photos provided by the Center for Environment
