Environmental concerns have pushed one flagship dam project to the brink of cancellation but a ‘gold rush on the rivers’ of south-east Europe puts these unique ecosystems and their wildlife, including the critically endangered Balkan lynx, in jeopardy.
ore is known about rivers in the Amazon than Europe’s last wild waterways in the Balkans. But these unique ecosystems in south-east Europe could soon be gone, along with endangered species such as the balkan lynx, if plans for over 2,000 dams go ahead, conservationists warn.
Western financial institutions have ploughed hundreds of millions of dollars into building dams in the region, arguing that hydropower is a green energy source that offers poor countries a way out of energy insecurity.
The Guardian has learned that the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is on the verge of cancelling one €65m (£48m) showcase project in Macedonia’s Mavrovo national park, after sustained environmental criticism centred on the potential extinction of the Balkan lynx.
But other projects are still in the pipeline, even if much of the energy they produce is destined for export.
On past trends, deforestation and soil erosion will follow, along with irrevocable changes to the course and character of untamed rivers, a quarter of which lie in pristine national parks and protected areas, according to new analysis by RiverWatch and Euronatur.
More on: www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/feb/20/balkan-dam-boom-threatens-europes-last-wild-waterways
