Big honour for the Balkan Rivers: On Friday night, the campaign “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” received two awards in Vaduz. Next to grand prize winner Ulrich Eichelmann, EuroNatur president Christel Schroeder was also awarded with a Binding Prize.

Last night, Riverwatch CEO Ulrich Eichelmann and coordinator of the Blue Heart of Europe campaign was awarded one of the most significant environmental awards of Europe, the “Great Binding Prize for Nature Conservation”, in Vaduz/Liechtenstein. He received this honor for his international commitment to the protection of rivers.

Next spring, we will present a 15-20 minutes documentary about the Balkan Rivers – their uniqueness and threats. Sneak a peek and watch the trailer!  Please tell your friends!

One of the key areas in our campaign is the Sava River, which has been under high anthropogenic pressure. The international coordination team is in a partnership with the Croatian Society for Bird and Nature Protection for the protection of the Croatian Sava. To supplement the Team Sava, the coordination team is currently looking for a national coordinator for Croatia and countries downstream (Bosnia&Herzegovina and Serbia).

The renowned German environmental magazine natur published a 4-page article about the dam-tsunami on the Balkan Peninsula and our campaign in the three key areas. Sorry, in German only! Stab in the Blue Heart

Dams have in every case tremendous negative effects on the environment. Watch this interactive illustration of dams and their consequences… and how to solve the problems: Interactive Video

One of the key areas in our campaign is the Sava River, which has been under high anthropogenic pressure. The international coordination team is in a partnership with the Croatian Society for Bird and Nature Protection for the protection of the Croatian Sava. To supplement the Team Sava, the coordination team is currently looking for a national coordinator for the Slovenian river section.

The Balkan rivers constitute the remaining global stronghold of the Danube Salmon (Hucho hucho). This species, among the world’s largest salmonid fishes, is very sensitive to ecosystem alteration by hydropower development. International experts came together for a workshop to assess and discuss its distribution and conservation status.

Stunning photos of our key areas, ambassador rivers, campaign events, biodiversity and other threatened Balkan rivers can be found HERE.  

Find out about Vjosa River’s beauty, its values and threats in this video by Adrian Guri. It features stunning views of the river, impressions of the Vjosa press conference in Tepelenë,  and many interviews.