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Climate change

Hutovo Blato Wetland Restoration Under Threat Due to Hydropower Project

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The WWF Adria organization in Zagreb has expressed concern over the restoration of nearly 1,500 hectares of the Hutovo Blato wetland in Bosnia and Herzegovina, citing the area's fragility due to a water energy project implemented by the authorities of Republika Srpska. The MERLIN project, a €22 million initiative involving 46 partner organizations from across Europe, aims to restore and transform freshwater ecosystem management. Despite the project's progress, the wetland remains at risk due to planned hydropower plants on nearby rivers, which could disrupt the natural water regime and threaten biodiversity and local communities.

Key Takeaways:

  • The WWF Adria organization has restored nearly 1,500 hectares of the Hutovo Blato wetland in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the area remains under threat due to a water energy project.
  • The MERLIN project, a €22 million initiative, aims to restore and transform freshwater ecosystem management in Europe.
  • The project involves 46 partner organizations from across Europe and has made significant progress in restoring the wetland.
  • However, the planned hydropower plants on nearby rivers pose a significant risk to the wetland, which could disrupt the natural water regime and threaten biodiversity and local communities.
  • The wetland plays a crucial role in carbon storage, with wetlands like Hutovo Blato having a greater carbon storage capacity than all the forests in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • The area is home to 163 bird species, 630 plant species, and numerous endemic fish species, making it a vital ecosystem.
  • The Gornji Horizonti hydroelectric project, which involves diverting rivers and altering the natural water regime, has been a major threat to the wetland for years.

Statistics:

  • 1,500 hectares of the Hutovo Blato wetland have been restored by the WWF Adria organization.
  • €22 million is the value of the MERLIN project.
  • 46 is the number of partner organizations involved in the MERLIN project.
  • 163 is the number of bird species found in the Hutovo Blato wetland.
  • 630 is the number of plant species found in the Hutovo Blato wetland.
  • 50% is the amount of water sources that the wetland has lost due to the development of a network of hydropower plants nearby.
  • Since 2000, Hutovo Blato has been listed on the Ramsar List of globally important wetlands.

Sources:

  • (Hina)
  • WWF Adria (through Matea Jarak, project associate)

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