Studenica River at risk from hydropower project

The Serbian organisation for political ecology, Polekol, has submitted a complaint to the Bern Convention, warning that the construction of the small hydroelectric power plant Gradina on the Studenica River will jeopardise protected habitats and species of international significance. Studenica is the lifeblood of the Golija Nature Park and the Golija-Studenica Biosphere Reserve, which has been under UNESCO protection since 2001. It is also a candidate for the Emerald area Golija, which speaks volumes about its natural values and the need for preservation. If this project is realised, Polekol warns that certain protected species and habitats will have almost no chance of survival, and the integrity of the Golija Nature Park will be significantly compromised.

The investor Hidro-Min from Čačak plans to build a run-of-river hydroelectric power plant, "Studenica S4-Gradina", with a capacity of 2.16 megawatts (MW) on the lower course of the Studenica, within the territory of the City of Kraljevo. This involves raising a dam 30 metres high with a crest width of 100 meters between the settlements of Ušće and the Studenica Monastery. This would create a reservoir lake approximately 1.4 kilometres long and about 7.5 hectares on the eastern boundary of the protected area.

Polekol has submitted numerous objections during the urban planning process for the MHE Gradina, along with numerous citizens and associations, to the relevant institutions in Serbia. With the initiatives "Save Studenica" and "Preserve the Mountain Rivers," Polekol submitted a proposal for a ban on the construction of small hydropower plants on the territory of the city to the City Administration of Kraljevo on two occasions in 2021 and 2023. The authorities have, so far, ignored these initiatives. 

The Republic Audit Commission is one step away from approving the urban project for this small hydropower plant, which practically means a green light for the investor. Since all available institutional means to protect the Golija Nature Park and Studenica are practically exhausted in Serbia, Polekol has appealed to the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention, which should respond urgently.