Ulrich Eichelmann: Neretva is Probably the Most Threatened River of Europe

Completion of Upper Horizons project, a plan by Republika Srpska to construct three hydropower plants in East  Herzegovina, “would completely change everything what you know so far”, says Ulrich Eichelmann, CEO of Riwerwatch, international organisation for the protecting of rivers and coordinator of Balkan rivers campaign.  Recently he visited Bosnia and Herzegovina and witnessed operations which are a great threat not only to the fragile ecosystems in the Neretva Valley,  but to whole communities, particularly in the lower Neretva region in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. In today’s interview, he explained why the Neretva ecosystem is one of the most important in Europe, what threatens it today, what caused the recent fish die-off downstream of Ulog, why is currently difficult to slow down the development of the harmful Upper Horizons project, how the Neretva is connected to the karst fields of Eastern Herzegovina and more.