Save the Sana – stop KELAG: under this slogan, about 200 people protested at the Sana in Bosnia and Herzegovina today © Jan Pirnat

++ Day 8 of the Balkan Rivers Tour: 200 people protest against the dam construction at the Sana river in Bosnia and Herzegovina ++ Today, an international alliance of protested on the river Sana in Bosnia and Herzegovina against the hydropower plant “Medna”, which is currently under construction. The Sana is one of the last remaining rivers in Europe that host healthy populations of the Huchen.

While 2700 dams are projected to be built between Slovenia and Albania, dams are being torn down one after another in the US in order to restore their rivers. Now, the removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River has been approved, rendering it the biggest dam removal project in history.

About 150 paddlers opened the Balkan Rivers Tour at Bohinj Lake in Slovenia today. © Matic Oblak

++ Grand kayak tour to save the Balkan Rivers starts today ++ Today, about 150 paddler are opening the Balkan Rivers Tour on the Sava river in Slovenia. Led by former Slovenian Olympic athlete Rok Rozman, kayakers from all over Europe will paddle the most stunning and most threatened rivers in the Balkans over the next 35 days.

The Vjosa river. The EU calls for its protection, but the Albanian government wants to have hydropower plants constructed © Christian Baumgartner/Nationalpark Donau-Auen

Today, the European Parliament criticized the Albanian government for the planning of hydropower projects and called upon them to be more considerate of protected areas and other sensitive nature areas, especially national parks. In the current Enlargement Report that was adopted by the parliament in Brussel yesterday, the Vjosa river is specifically mentioned.

Location of the opening event: Lake Bohinj © Peter Koren

We are happy to invite you to the opening event of an unusual international protest action: the opening event of the BALKAN RIVERS TOUR, April 16th 10:00 to 12:00, Bohinj Lake, Slovenia. For the first time, a group of kayakers from all over Europe will paddle rivers from Slovenia to Albania.