Context:
The Electric Power Company of Montenegro (EPCG) has been granted a concession to build a large hydropower plant (HPP) in the Komarnica Canyon.
In 2017, one part of the Komarnica area was declared a protected area – a Nature Park – together with the Dragišnica region. According to the 2018 UNESCO/IUCN mission, this area should be an appropriate extension to the World Heritage Site (Durmitor National Park), thereby enhancing its integrity. However, the Šavnik municipality rejected this proposal. The northern part of the potential Special Protected Area (SPA), Bukovica Valley and Mount Vojnik, would also be affected by the construction of the Komarnica HPP. Komarnica Canyon has been nominated as an Emerald site, and according to European Union criteria, parts of the Komarnica region should be designated as Natura 2000 habitats.
All of this is only a fragment of the real picture of Komarnica’s natural value — a canyon still largely unexplored to this day. Despite its unexplored nature, what little we do know about Komarnica was enough for parts of it to be declared protected at both local and European levels!
Last summer, the first educational protest camp was held on the Komarnica River in Montenegro, attracting 300 participants. For five years now, civil society organisations and nature lovers have been calling for the protection of this river, which led to the formation of the citizens’ movement “Save Komarnica.”
This year, we are organising another gathering around the Komarnica River to promote its natural beauty, its potential for sustainable ecological development and the well-being of local communities, as well as to expand the initiative to protect this and other rivers and natural areas in Montenegro. We also aim to strengthen the grassroots movement advocating for rivers that should be allowed to flow freely.
Conservation Objectives of This Project:
1. Alternative development of the region based on its preserved natural environment and the free-flowing freshwater river system of Komarnica.
2. Protection of diverse natural habitats found in the area (23 Natura 2000 habitat types), along with rare and endangered species of plants and animals documented in the region.
3. Integration of Komarnica into the UNESCO World Natural Heritage area of Durmitor.
Main Project Activities:
1. Active and Citizen Science Days – Promoting the potential of the Komarnica Canyon and its surrounding villages and mountainous areas through diverse activities open to everyone: kayaking / packrafting / canoeing downstream through the canyon; fly fishing; hiking; rock climbing; and citizen science workshops exploring various biodiversity groups such as large mammals, bats, insects, birds (observation and bird ringing), reptiles, amphibians, and plants.
2. Networking Event – Connecting river protection activists from the Balkans and across Europe to share our challenges, as well as our ideas and solutions for preserving the last free-flowing rivers of Europe.
3. Traditional Knowledge and Agricultural Heritage Day – After an introduction to the local values and the potential for developing eco-friendly farming practices, participants will learn and try out traditional skills, such as making local dishes (pies, fritters…), traditional crocheting and weaving, and sampling local products at a farmers’ fair.
4. Cultural Day – Celebrating the cultural values of the area and concluding the camp with a concert in the town square — for the first time in Šavnik’s history, such an event will bring together locals and visitors alike to enjoy music from renowned and emerging musicians who are also advocates for rivers and nature.
Note: The camp was visited by representatives from 17 countries. A total of around 400 people participated, collaborated, and sent a loud and clear message to decision-makers in Šavnik and across Montenegro: that Šavnik can and should become a true Balkan and European hub for outdoor tourism and a place that proudly showcases Montenegro’s natural, cultural, and agricultural heritage to the world.
This camp was made possible with generous support from EuroNatur, River Collective, and Packraft Europe, to whom we extend our deepest gratitude.
