Construction of hydropower plant on Una River halted, environmental impact assessment regulations not followed

(Patria) - Construction of the hydropower plant at the source of the Una River has been halted.

“The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition has carried out all activities within its jurisdiction and determined that in the process of obtaining permits, the regulations in force at the time, concerning the assessment of the acceptability of the intervention on the ecological network and the assessment of the need for an environmental impact assessment, were not fully respected,” the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Tourism of Croatia told N1.

“The Ministry has provided information and necessary documentation to all bodies relevant to this matter, including the State Inspectorate of the Republic of Croatia, which is conducting an inspection,” they added.

Otherwise, the fight for the Una River, in the village of Donja Suvaja, located in Croatia, not far from the BiH border, had been ongoing for days.

Citizens and activists from BiH, Croatia, and Serbia have risen against what they claim is the illegal construction of a small hydropower plant that would destroy the source of one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe.

The gathered people reached an agreement with the contractors to suspend construction until Monday, when the inspection findings are expected. The importance of preserving this untouched pearl of nature of the Una-Sana Canton, and indeed the whole of BiH, is also recognized by young people.