The Ratajska river in southern Serbia will remain free flowing and the whole river basin of may be protected in the future. This is a great success for local and national activists. Following wide protest of the local population, supported by the Serbian Blue Heart Team „Pravo na Vodu“, the Ministry of Mining and Energy stopped

Neretva Science Week 2023 took place from May 30th to June 7th. A diverse team of 70 scientists from 17 countries gathered in small town Ulog, to contribute to the conservation of the Neretva river system. They were accompanied by photographers, activists, and artists. 

More than 70 scientists, researchers, artists, activists and journalists from 19 European countries gathered on this beautiful river. Here are some first impressions of the Science Week.

River Summit in Belgrade postponed | Due to the large scale protests in Belgrade, the river summit "Right to Rivers” was postponed.

Attention all nature lovers! Are you ready to dive deep into the world of river conservation? We are thrilled to announce the launch of The Blue Heart Podcast - a five-episode series that uncovers the groundbreaking scientific findings of the 2022 Neretva Sicence Week.

From May 30th to June 7th 2023, a diverse team of scientists will visit the Neretva River to contriubte to the conservation of this river as knowledgeable experts and scietists. We now call for interested journalists and scientists to exress their interest in participating.

At a formal ceremony in Tepelena this morning, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama and his Minister of the Environment and Tourism Mirela Kumbaro declared the River Vjosa a Wild River National Park. As from today, the entire River Vjosa in Albania from its border with Greece to the Adriatic sea and its free flowing tributaries – a river system totalling more than 400 kilometres in length – have the very high level of protection.

The feasibility study is the result of six months of extensive fieldwork and in-depth analysis by a team of over 30 experts in areas such as eco-tourism, geomorphology, ecology, planning and management of protected areas, sustainable financing of national parks, legislation, and social and environmental impact assessment.

We invite you to join our next webinar on January 31st (6pm MET) to learn about the results of the 50 scientists that joined the Neretva Science Week in summer 2022 and how their science contributes to the protection of this highly intact river system.  Please REGISTER HERE to join this webinar.

This pilot study provides a general overview of the forest situation in the Vjosa basin, discusses problems and defines areas where pilot reforestation projects are to be implemented soon.