Scream from Biogradska gora

"It's better to hang out with nature, than with people," laconically says Veselin Ilić from Mojkov, who has been going to Lake Biograd almost every day for more than four decades, from early spring to late fall. This is how this doctor of science, in the field of electrical energy, on a warm afternoon this February, in a bar in his native Mojkovac, explains why he constantly stays at a lake, ten kilometers away from his small town, in the north of Montenegro. Although he admits that man is a social being and that people cannot live without each other, he says that Lake Biograd, unlike people, never disappointed him and that it only gave him positive energy.

And another native of Mojkov, who has lived in the capital Podgorica for years, often stays at Lake Biograd and mentions its magical energy. An experienced journalist, formerly of Radio Free Europe, and now of Al Jazeera regional television, Predrag Tomović, says that he returns to the lake purposefully and incidentally when he goes to Mojkovac, where his mother and brother still live today. He says he is coming back to him to inhale his green energy again.

But this tiny emerald spot, in one of only three remaining European rainforests, this Montenegrin jewel of nature, as many call Lake Biograd, is on the verge of disappearing. Located on the slopes of the tame Biogradska Gora, in the north of a small country in the Balkans, at about a thousand meters above sea level, this lake may be experiencing the last decades of its existence. The lake has a glacial character and is in the final stage of evolution. Rough estimates by experts say that it will disappear in less than a hundred years, if the authorities do not urgently begin its rehabilitation and thus extend its lifespan.

Evolution ends, climate intensifies

It is not only inevitable natural processes that threaten the Montenegrin green gem. The water in the lake is decreasing due to the warmer years. Climate change is getting stronger, so many fear that what the centuries have not yet ended, the climate could speed up overnight.

In a scientific book from 1975, it is stated that in the winter period, the ice cover on Lake Biograd was maintained for one to two months in those years and that it can reach a thickness of up to 30 centimeters. Scientist Ilić recalls events from his childhood. "It was possible to ride a bicycle on the ice," he says and explains that in recent years, if there is occasional ice, it is only on the surface. Ilić also illustrates another example of how much the lake's waters have dropped. "At one place there was a wooden observation deck from which we used to jump into the water as children. We never reached the bottom of the lake. But today, at the time of the highest water level, it is not deeper than a meter in the same place," he says

Tucked away in the heart of the Biogradska gora National Park, Biogradsko jezero belongs to the flowing lakes. The Biogradska river flows into it, and the Jezerštica flows out, which continues its course towards the Tara river. Scientists believe that during the melting of the glaciers and the phases of a wetter climate, Lake Biograd was several times larger than it is now, with a depth that reached up to 30 meters. Today, the average depth of Lake Biograd is about four and a half meters. Its average width is now about 400 meters, and its length is over 1,1 kilometers.

For years, silt and hauled material, brought by the Biograd River, have been deposited in the lake, which has raised the bottom of the lake and reduced its volume. Scientist Ilić believes that man also contributed to the deterioration of the whole situation. "In the 2012s, lay people did not respect the profession. At the exit from the so-called small lake, from which Jezerštica flows further, they built a concrete dam. In times of high water, they wanted to keep the high water back with a high dam. That dam had the effect of depositing a lot of material into the lake. When they saw that the devil had taken the joke, they broke the dam... Climate change is also harmful, so today the lake fills up quickly, but it also empties quickly," he explains. He adds that there are many sinkholes at the bottom of the lake, through which the water disappears. He personally counted 11 sinkholes in XNUMX, when a very low water level was recorded on Lake Biograd.

A look at European funds

The small Balkan country, which gained its independence almost two decades ago, wants to become a member of the European Union, from which they are already approving financial resources for its development. The president of Kolašin, Petko Bakić, sees the opportunity for the rehabilitation of Lake Biograd in funds from European and international funds. This small town is also ten kilometers away from Lake Biograd, while the lake itself territorially belongs to the jurisdiction of this local administration.

“There is no more time to wait. It is necessary to develop a multi-year program of adaptation measures to climate change in Lake Biograd and its surroundings. By combining several measures, according to priorities and certain time dynamics, there will be certain favorable results", says Bakić, when asked if the red alarm for the survival of Lake Biograd has been lit.

He answers in the affirmative to the question whether it can be said that Lake Biograd is also a victim of the coming climate changes. “Of course. The level of underground water is constantly decreasing, the same is the case with natural lakes, and in the case of Lake Biograd, this process has greatly accelerated in the last few years. The do nothing option will see the lake disappear in the near future. The development of a local plan for energy and climate is underway, which will foresee mitigation measures (reduction of CO2) and adaptation (adjustment) to climate change. When it comes to adaptation measures for Lake Biograd, they are not part of our plan for several reasons. One is the authority of the state enterprise National Parks of Montenegro. Activities for the restoration of Lake Biograd require large financial resources that can only be provided through the Capital Budget of the Government or European and international funds."

And while this local government looks with hope towards the central government in Podgorica, that government, i.e. the department in charge of ecology and tourism, says that for three years they have been working on researching the processes that lead to the disappearance of Lake Biograd for its rehabilitation. It is noticeable that, nevertheless, they use the term "eventual" rehabilitation.

The ministry in charge of ecology and tourism explains that Montenegro, with support from European funds, is implementing a rehabilitation project for Lake Biograd, within which the first phase has been completed (collection and analysis of data and conditions, and proposals for investigative works), while the second phase of investigative works has been completed. (hydrological, hydrogeological, geological, geophysical and geodetic works) is still ongoing. "The works represent the necessary basis for the future design of a sustainable solution, which would help slow down the process of the disappearance of Lake Biograd. In order to choose an adequate technical solution in the future, which takes into account all the natural characteristics of the area of ​​Lake Biograd, it is necessary to have quality, relevant and scientifically based data."

They emphasize that the possibility of permanent loss of Lake Biograd, unlike many devastated natural and environmental units in Montenegro, is a consequence of natural, evolutionary changes in the relief. "Given that this is a natural process, the question arises as to how much and in what way this process should be influenced. Future rehabilitation solutions must be aimed at changing the natural processes in Biogradska Gora, and at the same time they must be in full harmony and in harmony with nature, in order not to devastate the protected area."

In the coming months, they plan to present the rehabilitation research, which will be followed by the preparation of the conceptual and then the main rehabilitation project, and they also state that the rehabilitation project recognizes the effects of climate change and sees the future solution of eventual rehabilitation as a measure of adaptation to climate change.

Money machine

Surrounded on all sides by a rainforest, unique in this part of the European continent, Lake Biograd with its irregular shape and lush vegetation has been attracting numerous visitors for years, who find peace and relaxation there.

Scientist Veselin Ilić says that the number of tourists coming to the lake has been growing significantly in recent years. He believes that the existing restaurant and a dozen bungalows, none of which have a separate wet room, but a common wet room, like for the army, are not enough for a quality and serious tourist offer. Therefore, as he states, we should consider the possibility of providing about a hundred accommodation capacities in this area, in full harmony with the natural environment. "People are increasingly looking for salvation in nature. Lake Biograd is a money machine. And we are a poor country and every euro is precious", he underlines.

Scientist Ilić believes that intense climate changes, which are reflected on Lake Biograd, along with the natural process itself, must be a clear message to the authorities that there is no time to wait. "Everything that is invested in Lake Biograd will return to Lake Biograd," says this lover of the miraculous lake, which is slowly disappearing.

And the journalist Predrag Tomović expects that local intelligence and institutions, supported by international experts, will gather all experts in the biosphere, hydrology and others, in order to define a model according to which the life of Lake Biograd, as it is now, would be significantly extended. He emphasizes that the lake is located on the territory of one of the last European rainforests, that it is an inseparable part of our upbringing, the first contacts with untouched nature, one of the most beautiful monuments of the biosphere in this region...

"It would be too selfish of us towards future generations if we don't do everything to slow down the disappearance of the lake as much as possible," says journalist Tomović.

And the legend about the origin of Lake Biograd is related precisely to human selfishness. She says that Lake Biograd was created when the older brother shared grain with his younger brother, who was blind. He gave himself more, and cursed aloud that he had shared equally. According to legend, as soon as he uttered the curse, the sky darkened and the earth opened. It rained for three days and three nights. She stopped on the fourth. The meadow became a lake.

But new times do not create legends.

And, time is running out inexorably. With it and the emerald waters of the lake at the foot of this European rainforest.

And once it swells, when the temporal abyss swallows it, the question is who will tell our legends, and our lives...

Author Ines Mrdovic, Action for Social Justice

Instead of a conclusion: Lake Biograd is just one of the essential natural resources of this country, which is already significantly affected by climate change. Action for Social Justice is working on an analysis of the compliance of key domestic environmental laws with European Union legislation. Through the example of Lake Biograd, he wants to draw attention to the fact that we are already living in a time of serious climate change, and that legislative steps must parallel the conditions on the ground, in order to prevent damage to our nature, which is becoming more and more visible.

This text was created through the project "Higher quality laws for better environmental protection" implemented by Action for Social Justice. The project is supported by the NGO Center for the Protection and Study of Birds of Montenegro (CZIP), the NGO North zemlja, the NGO Društvo mladih ecologia Nikšić (DMEN) and the NGO Green Home within the project "Strengthening the participation of civil society in the field of the environment in the accession process EU (4E)" funded by the European Union and co-financed by the Ministry of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media.

The content of this text is the sole responsibility of the Action for Social Justice and does not necessarily reflect the views of NGO CZIP, NGO Sjevrna Zemlje, NGO DMEN, NGO Green Homa, the European Union or the Ministry of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media.

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