More than 80 obsolete physical barriers have been mapped in the Skadar Lake basin, which no longer have any function, but seriously disrupt the natural flow of rivers, biodiversity and increase the risk of flooding. Milija Čabarkapa from the Eco Team organization, who was a guest on Boje jutra on TV Vijesti, stressed that Montenegro must urgently join the European river restoration processes.
"Barriers are artificial structures built of concrete, stone or wood in riverbeds. They were once used to operate watermills, fishponds, for irrigation or small swimming areas. Some still have a function, but a large number of them today have absolutely no purpose. From an ecological perspective, barriers prevent fish migration. A river is a linear ecosystem and when barriers are built, parts of the river are isolated, which leads to the genetic and demographic isolation of fish species. From a hydrological perspective, sediment accumulation occurs upstream, while erosion occurs downstream, which directly affects the occurrence of floods," he stressed.
As a particularly problematic example, he cited a large barrier on the Cijevna River, in the Cijevna Canyon protected area.
"It is an example of a harmful barrier and the weakness of institutions. Although all permits were obtained and a decision on its removal was issued, the institutions withdrew after a rebellion by several local residents. We as an organization had to return the money to the donor, and the barrier continues to cause enormous damage to the river," he said.
On the other hand, there are also positive examples. Čabarkapa recalls that in 2021, three barriers on Vežišnica were removed in Pljevlja, which was the first such case in the Western Balkans.
Speaking about the role of local governments, he states that political will is generally weak.
"Institutions are often afraid of conflict, because removing barriers means demolishing something that someone is illegally using. Rivers are a public good, but for decades they have been treated as the private property of individuals, which is what led us to the problem with floods," warned Čabarkapa.
However, the good news is that there is significant financial support from the European Union for these projects.
"There are foundations that finance the creation of inventories, technical documentation and the removal of barriers themselves. With a little will and knowledge, institutions could save hundreds of thousands of euros. As an organization, we offer direct assistance and invite municipalities to contact us," said Čabarkapa.
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