Republic of Srpska activists demand ban on small hydropower plants

Environmental activists and the Foundation ACT have launched a public campaign in the Republic of Srpska to demand a ban on the construction of new small hydropower plants (mHE). While the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted a law in July 2022 that halted over one hundred projects, the Government and National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska have yet to initiate similar legislative procedures.

Activists argue that the lack of a legal ban allows investors to continue devastating rivers and streams. Specific concerns were raised regarding the Pliva river in Šipov, where construction is underway near the river's source, and the Kasindolska river in East Sarajevo. Robert Oroz of Foundation ACT stated that the current inaction contradicts the Declaration on the Protection of Rivers adopted by the National Assembly in February 2021.