DMEN: When planning strategic documents, take into account the impact of climate change

In order to bring closer the impact of climate change on the waters of Nikšić and Plužine, the non-governmental organization (NGO) the Society of Young Ecologists Nikšić (DMEN) created short video forms on the connection of seven water resources with climate change.

As examples, they took five water resources from Nikšić: Vukovo vrelo, Gornjepoljski vir, Vidov potok and the rivers Zeta and Gračanica, and two from Plužine, the rivers Komarnica and Vrbnica.

"Montenegro is characterized by very specific geomorphological, hydrological, climatic, biodiversity and other characteristics, and the available information indicates that in the future climate changes will significantly affect this area," reads the DMEN announcement.

It is very important, as they point out, that, both at the national and local levels, when planning and drafting strategic documents, the impacts of climate change are taken into account during the given time interval of validity of the documents.

"The state of things tells us that it is very important to have a high-quality projection of expected events for better community resilience in the future," they stated.

They remind that in the report of UNESCO, the United Nations (UN) agency for education, science and culture, it is stated that within three decades the glacier on Durmitor will melt.

"Such a sequence of events leads to causal relationships. The waters that arise in that area are very important for the complete biodiversity, but they are also important from the aspect of supplying the existing reservoir, the hydroelectric power plant (HE) 'Piva', and they also play an important role in future plans related to the construction of the HPP 'Komarnica', translation Zeta water into lakes Slano and Krupac. The cause-and-effect relationship means that due to the reduction of the capacity of water sources and hot springs due to climate change, there may be consequences for the biodiversity of the area, and also a reduction in the volume and profitability of electricity production from water resources", warns DMEN.

The video forms were created within the project "Better understanding of water due to climate change", which the Society of Young Ecologists Nikšić implements as part of the Regional Program of Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 2 ReLOaD2. The project is financed by the European Union and implemented by UNDP in partnership with 14 local self-governments in Montenegro divided into five clusters, among which is the "Together Nikšić and Plužine" cluster.