NATURE NEEDS OUR LOVE

THE TIME WE HAVE TO PROTECT EVERYTHING WE LOVE IS RUNNING OUT FAST

The Mura, Drava and Danube rivers, in their course through five countries, form a 700-kilometer-long green belt that UNESCO has declared a biosphere reserve. This landscape of one million hectares is called the European Amazon due to the mosaic of unique habitats and the abundance of rare and endangered species. This is a real example of coexistence of man and nature because it is home to almost a million people, but also the largest population of bald eagles in Europe and many endangered species such as terns, black storks, beavers, otters and fish such as sturgeon.
 

Now imagine it's gone.

Old fashioned ways of managing rivers, shortening watercourses, extracting gravel and sand from riverbeds and hydropower projects are a constant threat to the Amazon of Europe, one of the largest wetlands in Europe. By working together, we can stop threats, change our attitude towards nature and, in cooperation with local communities, build a sustainable future of this area with a rich cultural heritage that testifies to the connection of people with rivers.

Love it or lose it. 

The Adriatic Sea is a hotbed of biodiversity with a large number of endangered and vulnerable species. An excellent example of this wealth is Lastovo - the most remote Croatian inhabited island and the youngest marine nature park in Croatia. The Lastovo archipelago is home to lobsters, turtles, dolphins, a resting place for many migratory birds and a nesting place for rare birds - gregula, kaukala and Mediterranean gull. And this is just one of 1300 islands in the Adriatic! In addition to beautiful plant and animal species, the Adriatic is home to many coastal communities and generations of fishermen.
 

Now imagine it's gone.

Numerous rare and unique animal species find their home in the darkness of the karst underground, and there are so many of them in the Dinarides that the Dinaric karst has been confirmed as the area of the greatest biodiversity of cave fauna in the world! From Udine in Italy to Skadar Lake in Montenegro, the Dinaric Karst is home to phenomenal natural attractions such as the national parks of Triglav, Krka or Prokletije, caves like Grabovaca, Vjetrenica or Postojna Cave, fields like Livanjsko Polje.

Now imagine it's gone.

More than half of all terrestrial species find their home in forests. They carry within them a rich diversity of life that sustains the functioning of many of our most important natural systems - from keeping the climate stable to regulating water supply and improving its quality. Our region is filled with beautiful forests, among which Perućica stands out in the Sutjeska National Park, one of the last preserved European rainforests. There is also Pančić spruce, a symbol of the Tara National Park, an endemic forest species of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 

Now imagine it's gone.

Wetlands, ponds, peat bogs, rivers and lakes are natural solutions to many environmental problems. Although they make up only 3% of the Earth's surface, they absorb twice as much carbon as all the world's forests combined! During heavy rainfall, they retain excess water, preventing flooding, while their vegetation filters pollution. In addition, wetlands are crucial for the conservation of biodiversity and the survival of many wild species - such as the bald eagle, the largest bird of prey in the Danube basin.
 

Now imagine it's gone.

Protected areas preserve unique, valuable, but also fragile examples of our natural wealth. The question is what the stunning nature of Djerdap, Durmitor or Lovćen would look like, the fantastic peaks of Mavrovo or Sharri, the historically carved Sutjeska and Neretva, the magnificent Una or Plitvice Lakes if they were not protected. In our region, protected areas make up about eight percent of the territory and are home to many wild species, habitats and cultural and historical monuments that we must preserve.
 

Now imagine it's gone.