At a press conference in Dubrovnik organised by citizen’s initative Srđ je naš, Zelena akcije/ Friends of the Earth Croatia, Friends of the Earth Europe representatives expressed the concern for the cultural and natural heritage of the UNESCO protected city of Dubrovnik. The city is threatened by planned construction of the golf resort at Srdj Platou and HE power-plant at the source of river Ombla.
Enes Ćerimagić from Zelena akcija stated that the EIA revision done by an expert hired by EU commission has concluded that “So the overall conclusion of the impacts on the living world: “The project, once in operation, due to maintaining the current discharge at the spring of the Ombla River, will have no adverse impacts on the current associations of water habitats at Ombla and Rijeka Dubrovačka” is not acceptable.”. This conclusion reaffirms earlier EIA revisions done by 4 Croatian experts, the three of them stating that the EIA from 1999. is of bad quality. It is hard to believe that the HEP and Croatian Government are still pushing for this project after these evidence. Further suspicion has risen by statement in a TV show of the CEO of HEP. He said that is yet to be investigate would the HE Ombla produce electrical energy at all as this is primarily drinking water management project. At the moment, the city of Dubrovnik is getting drinking water from Ombla source, pumping of 500 l/s that is enough water for all the needs of the city. The HE plans to increase pumping to 1500 l/s. we assume that this water is needed for a planned golf resort at the Srdj Platou.
Đuro Capor, fro the initiative “Srđ je naš” has said that again, without public participation, we have development solutions agreed, far away from the public eye, by the Dubrovnik mayor and investors from Golf razvoj d.o.o. Good example for this is recent exhibition about the golf resort that presents the idea of the resort that citizens of Dubrovnik refused as a model of development couple of years ago. Now we have EIA process in parallel with local planning documents based on a project that has been refused by the citizens of Dubrovnik couple of years ago.
Bertrand Sansonnens, member of executive board of the Friends of the Earth Europe (FoEE), has said that he is extreamy happy to give support to the local campaigns in Dubrovnik, which is UNESCO heritage site, and the place is of importance for biodiversity at European level. FOEE has already supported campaign against construction of HE Ombla and this support we will continue in the both campaigns. He said that the local democracy is very important, particularly in the cases like Srdj Platou, when it is good to have a referendum for such projects.
Here you can download the document that analyses quality of environment impact assessment studies in Croatia. Document was made by independent consultant hired by European Union.
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