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This was announced today by the Bosnian non-governmental association Alhaus Center, which filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction and Ecology of Republika Srpska over its decision to approve the construction of infrastructure for the Dabar hydroelectric power plant in the Zalonka River basin, within the framework of the High-Rise Horizon project.
The project is designed to divert the watershed of the Zalomka, Buna, Bunica and Bregava rivers that flow into the Neretva River for power generation.
Environmental experts have been warning for years that this would cause irreversible ecological damage, endangering the biological minimum of these rivers, with direct consequences downstream, in the Neretva River delta, where seawater would penetrate noticeably deeper into the riverbed if the project were realized, with significant consequences for flora and fauna and for agriculture on which the region depends.
The Banja Luka Court accepted the allegation that the decision to approve the construction of the hydropower plant violated applicable laws, including environmental protection laws and the Althaus Convention, to which Bosnia and Herzegovina is a signatory.
The environmental impact assessment that served as the basis for the issuance of the environmental permit was not properly reviewed and the environmental permit was issued before the necessary studies were completed.
It was also determined that the High Horizon project violated the provisions of at least three international conventions aimed at protecting the environment and natural habitats.
The project has been considered in the former Yugoslavia and envisages major works on the Trebishnica River, with up to seven hydroelectric power stations and six reservoirs on the river, as well as a series of canals and tunnels.
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