UNESCO sends warning regarding HPP Buk Bijela

(Patria) - Bosnia and Herzegovina must assess the potential environmental impact of the "Buk Bijela" Hydroelectric Power Plant project, planned on the Drina River in BiH, on the high natural values of Durmitor and the Tara River, decided the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, reports the "Indikator" portal.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia have been asked to maintain the continuity of the river ecosystem and the unimpeded flow of the river.

"Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia must also ensure an assessment of potential impacts through a Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment, in cooperation with Montenegro," stated the UNESCO decision.

The "Durmitor" National Park is on the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage list, while the Tara canyon has been declared a World Ecological Reserve. According to Montenegro, the construction of the "Buk Bijela" HPP in Foča would disrupt these areas.

Environmental protection associations from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro have been pointing out the negative consequences of building this hydroelectric power plant for years.

A series of complaints have been filed with international bodies due to this project, and an appeal procedure was also conducted before the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Prime Minister of Republika Srpska, Radovan Višković, and the Prime Minister of Serbia signed a joint declaration on the implementation of the "Gornja Drina" hydropower system project in 2020. The project envisages the construction of three hydroelectric power plants – "Buk Bijela", "Foča", and "Paunci". According to this project, Serbia holds the majority ownership (51 percent), and 49 percent belongs to Republika Srpska. The construction of these three hydroelectric power plants will be financed by Elektroprivreda Srbije and Elektroprivreda RS.

The authorities of Republika Srpska are implementing the hydroelectric power plant construction projects in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Inland Navigation of Republika Srpska, which declared all rivers in the smaller BiH entity as "internal waters of Republika Srpska".

In February 2020, the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared this legal solution unconstitutional, but representatives of Republika Srpska believe that energy is within the jurisdiction of the entities and claim that by signing the agreement with Serbia, they are not violating the decision of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

They justify this by stating that the location for the construction of these hydroelectric power plants is on the upper course of the Drina River, which is not a border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, but is located in the territory of Republika Srpska.