Resource management, in the way it is done today in Montenegro, exposes our precious forests to great risk and negative impacts, said the Center for Bird Protection and Research (CZIP).
The NGO appealed to the competent services and institutions to take concrete measures and implement stricter controls during the season of intense fires. They also appealed to the citizens not to burn agricultural waste, but to educate themselves and inform themselves about alternative solutions for preparing the property before the season and thus contribute to the preservation of the environment and people's health.
They noted that there is almost no criminal policy when it comes to fires. "The need for better cross-sectoral cooperation between all services was expressed: municipal police and inspection, fire stations, local governments, which should primarily deal with fire prevention."
The CZIP said that, along with increased inspection, it is necessary to work on educating citizens because it is evident that the lack of awareness about the consequences of burning meadows and waste brings harm to all citizens of Montenegro and the natural wealth we have.
"Negligence, ignorance, but also bad intentions are the reasons why these days, wherever we go, we see fires in our meadows and forests. It seems that there is no hill that is not burning, and we feel, see and breathe smoke and ash throughout the entire territory of the country . In the majority of cases, these are fires that occur after the burning of meadows, pastures, plant waste or any other type of waste. Fires caused in this way very easily get out of control and spread over large areas, and often involve the forest complex as well." , they point out from CZIP.
It is a mistake, they said, that burning meadows and plant waste is the solution, and pointed out that this act only brings harm, both to nature and to people.
"Fire acts directly and indirectly on plants, i.e. on vegetation and the ecosystem as a whole. Extremely high temperatures that occur during a fire can destroy the above-ground and underground part of the plant, which results in a change in the appearance of the area. Fires destroy a huge amount of plant material. mass that is present in the meadow, i.e. the complete microflora and microfauna in the burned area is destroyed, but there is also a decrease in the content of humus in the soil and a disruption of its structure. In addition to plants, animals are also at risk, as they lose their habitat in this way. Instead of burning of meadows due to which our environment becomes polluted with smoke and ash, it is possible to envisage a place on the property for the disposal of plant waste that will decompose over time, and in the end will be useful as organic matter that can further enrich the soil. The need to change this bad habit is all bigger because in the last couple of years the consequences for the ecosystem, air quality and the health of all of us have been very pronounced," added CZIP.
They note that when the burning of agricultural waste gets out of control, forest fires also occur, where the direct damage is most often presented as an economic problem and is expressed in cubic meters of lost wood mass.
"However, what the numbers cannot show is the real impact on the ecological function of the forest. Completely destroyed plant and animal life, soil and air pollution, are the consequences that we can see up to 70 years later, how long it takes for a burned forest to recover. recover. The fire acts directly on the vegetation and the ecosystem as a whole, leaving behind a desolation that recovers over the next few decades. Close to 60% of the territory of Montenegro is covered by forests, which, based on their preservation, diversity and value, are among the best in Europe. Great wealth that we have, due to reckless behavior and attitude towards nature, we can lose literally in one day", they said from CZIP.
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