Vuković: Without a serious state approach to the consequences of climate change

The authorities in Montenegro do not have a serious approach to the consequences of climate change, said the executive director of the non-governmental organization Green Home, Azra Vuković, adding that this is not the case only with the current but also with the previous governments.

Vuković said that climate change is a complex phenomenon, and in addition to natural ones, there are also human-caused impacts.

Speaking about the consequences of climate change on people's health, she said that last year was the hottest recorded, and increased temperatures can lead to an impact on people's health.

"If we talk about longer periods of torrential rains, where we have an increased possibility of flooding, then we can also talk about the risk to people's lives because we had the opportunity to watch global floods, where a large number of people actually died in such conditions," Vuković told the agency. MINE.

Answering the question of how aware the citizens of Montenegro are of the problems brought about by climate change, Vuković questioned the fact that some people consider climate change to be a conspiracy theory.

Vuković said that there are clear indicators that "we are living in a time of climate change and that we are actually facing climate change right now."

"Even though we are not ready for them either for adaptation or for mitigation, therefore neither for mitigation nor for adaptation as a country and somewhere in the previous years we did not work enough to become ready for climate change", said Vuković.

According to her, readiness for climate change is reflected in the preparation of various plans.

"Which will contribute to not suffering serious consequences due to climate change, both in agricultural production and in the loss of biodiversity and in tourist activities. So we are still trotting a lot for the implementation of activities", added Vuković.

She stated that the biggest contributor to climate change in Montenegro is the use of fossil fuels for the production of electricity.

Vuković said that we can also talk about traffic as a major cause of climate change.

According to her assessment, people in Montenegro are not ready enough to give up comfort, above all individual transportation, in order to reduce the impact on climate change.

Vuković said that a small percentage of citizens are aware of the impact of climate change on health.

"But I'm afraid that he is not ready to contribute to it additionally, instead we rely on the fact that the big powers need to reduce their pollution on a global level, and that it is not us. I believe that everyone should make a contribution to the extent possible, both on an individual and national level, and certainly on a global level", said Vuković.

Answering the question about the attitude of the authorities towards the consequences of climate change, Vuković said that she does not see a serious approach.

"But when I say that, I'm speaking in a broader context, I'm not only referring to the current government, but also to the previous ones. I said that for several years, a series of strategic documents that should have been adopted and defined in Montenegro have not been adopted, because the people who were in charge of those areas were not engaged in their work", said Vuković.

She noted that biodiversity and waste management strategies have not been adopted either.

"When you don't have a strategic planning framework, then everything that is done is done ad hoc. "We don't have a spatial plan in Montenegro, it's been years and it's now in a draft stage," said Vuković.

She also questioned activities at the local level, stating that local self-governments implement activities that do not serve the purpose.

Vuković said that the state has not yet adopted a national energy and climate plan for the period up to 2050 and reminded that as of 2018, that plan is in "some stage of preparation".

"What we have now are the activities of the Ministry of Tourism, Ecology, Sustainable Development and Development of the North in the direction of the implementation of that plan, where Montenegro is expected to define the year when it will stop using fossil fuels for the production of electricity," she said. is Vuković.

She added that answers are expected as to how the state will further develop energy policies, what will be the alternative to the Thermal Power Plant in Pljevlja, that is, what other sources of electricity will Montenegro use to provide its energy needs, in order to meet all demands.

Vuković said that it will be necessary to make a strategic assessment of the impact on the environment and added that she is more concerned about the implementation of that and numerous other acts.

"Because we have seen that Montenegro, even when it passes certain strategic acts, has problems in implementation," said Vuković.

Speaking about how the consequences of climate change can be reduced, she said that citizens' awareness should be strengthened through the facts that are already available.

"In terms of scientific facts, scientific evidence that these changes are happening. I believe that the public should be informed that climate change is happening, that it is a reality at the moment we live in, and that there are ways in which we can mitigate climate change, but also adapt to it," Vuković added.

She believes that in Montenegro we must talk about the high risk of the disappearance of Ada Bojana, Buljarica, due to the rise in sea level.

Vuković said that she is an advocate of penal policy.

"Because the fact is that we treat the environment without the necessary attention, and in that sense I am definitely an advocate of punitive measures in the broadest possible sense," said Vuković.

She said that waste management is problematic in Montenegro, as well as deforestation.

"I am definitely an advocate of punitive measures, in order to prevent everything that is ultimately illegal, because in the end it is all illegal and illegal activities, and all of that cumulatively has an impact on climate change," said Vuković.

Speaking about the awareness of young people about the consequences of climate change, Vuković believes that a lot of work needs to be done to strengthen the awareness of both young people and citizens in general.

Vuković said that it should be done through education because, as she added, everything stems from it.

"What we had in previous years was the collapse of the education system. If we are talking about the field of biology and the environment, it certainly is, because we have a much smaller number of classes dedicated to these areas, and therefore the level of knowledge of children and young people is much lower than before," said Vuković.

Vuković said that when talking about the environment, it is seen as something that prevents development, "which should actually be the complete opposite".

"Actually, in sustainable development, all sides should be balanced and we should function as one society that can develop economically, while at the same time preserving what is the environment and what is our nature and the natural resources it has", Vuković believes.

Speaking about Chapter 27 in the negotiations with the European Union, Vuković said that the political situation, which was unstable in the previous few years, "led to the fact that we had no progress in this area".

She said that the laws that were passed several years ago are already ready for amendments.

"Because the legislation in this area is changing rapidly, as technology advances, as knowledge in this area advances, so does the legislation, but the EU requirements are also becoming stricter in this area," said Vuković.