According to Serbian Economist, the mountain river Drina in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina was again blocked by a large accumulation of floating waste near the barriers of a hydroelectric power plant in the vicinity of the city of Visegrad, media reported, citing local activists and utility services.
During the winter, rubbish washed away by flooded rivers and tributaries accumulates near the protective line of the hydroelectric facility, forming “islands” of plastic bottles and other household and construction waste. Machinery is working to clear the riverbed, but activists note that the problem recurs every year.
Euronews specifies that some of the waste may come from illegal landfills not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also in neighboring Serbia and Montenegro, which gives the problem a cross-border character and requires coordination between the countries of the Drina basin.
According to estimates cited in publications, the volume of waste entering the dam area during peak periods can be measured in thousands of cubic meters, with activists claiming that medical materials are also found among the waste.
Ukraine has announced an international tender for the purchase of a modern multifunctional vessel for Danube ports, which will perform environmental, emergency rescue, and technical tasks.
According to a statement by the State Enterprise “Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority” (USPA), the vessel will be designed to operate in the ports of Izmail, Reni, and Ust-Dunaysk, which are currently key logistics hubs in the south of the country.
According to the technical specifications, the new vessel will be able to collect oil products and debris from the water surface, extinguish fires on ships and port facilities, and perform tugboat and mooring functions, assisting large ships in maneuvering.
The project is being implemented as part of the RELINC (Restoration of Essential Logistics Infrastructure and Network Connectivity) program with the support of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
Experts note that the new vessel will not only strengthen the port infrastructure, but will also be an important element of the environmental safety of the entire Danube.
Danube ports currently handle more than 40% of all Ukrainian agricultural exports and play a key role in international logistics, especially after the blockade of Black Sea routes.
The Danube is approximately 2,850 km long, the second longest river in Europe after the Volga.
The river basin flows through 10 countries — Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine — and flows into the Black Sea through the Danube Delta, part of which is located in the Odesa region.
According to estimates by the European Commission and the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), the level of pollution in the river remains moderate, but there is an accumulation of heavy metals, pesticides, and microplastics, especially in the tributaries.
The main sources of pollution are industrial discharges, agrochemicals, household waste, and shipping.
