Well, the environmental approval for Suruc dam was annulled by court in 2022, which was a reason for celebration. But works continued and the corrupt Environmental Guard refused to stop the building works. And now the ministry for Environment is issuing a new environmental agreement, even though it is illegal to issue such an agreement for initiated building works, meaning that dam is about to go ahead and divert 20 km of this river and turn riverbed dry. Along with degrating the rivers Bâsca Rozilei and Buzău downstream.

The draft of the environmental approval was posted for public consultation of 10 days. This is where you can step in and tell the ministry that what they are doing is illegal, corrupt and simply wrong. Bellow you will fing sample text and email address to which you should send your message. It is not like the ministry would not have all the ecological and legal proof against this absurd project, the arguments were received again and again from Romanian biologists and NGOs. The minister only needs public pressure to obey the law, in the faint rule of law from Romania.

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Our film Streamers, Steamers & Struggles on the Krka received the award for best short film at the Mountain Film Festival Festival gorniškega filma last night in Cankarjev dom!

This is the fourth award of this exceptional festival for our small production and we are just as happy to recieve this one as the first one. May the rivers flow freely, may censorship and political correctness be damned and may humor guide us all along the path of solving problems. Cheers!

Thank you to the organizers for such a great event and thank you to NRS and Chums for supporting the creation of the film.

More information about the film here: https://balkanriverdefence.org/sss-on-the-krka/

Photo: Igor Kuster and Aljaž Žnidaršič

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Similar to the past three years, we devoted most of our attention to Slovenian rivers, since problems for them are unfortunatelly just piling up; plans for new big dams, insanely aggressive after-flood reconstruction, pollution, over-tourism, you name it.

That’s why we continued to use visual storytelling to give rivers a voice, and expose the often hidden schemes that damage them.

At the end of the year, our feature documentary One for the River: The Sava Story was made available online for free. Since the premiere, the film has been selected into 28 film festivals in 16 countries, won 13 international awards, was broadcast on Slovenian national television, and screened at 95 events across Slovenia, gathering more than 10,000 viewers. It has already allowed many to meet the Sava River and its landscapes without stepping into a kayak and now we are hoping for this number to become much bigger. Watch it on You Tube.

And our short films continued their journeys. Rods, Rolls & Reality on the Soča was recognised as Best Short Film at the Festival Gorniškega Filma in Ljubljana, the biggest film festival of this kind in the region, while our newest short film, Streamers, Steamers & Struggles on the Krka received the award for Best Fishing Film at the Paddling Film Festival and was officially selected for the Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T) and has since been shown at over 300 events in 14 countries, bringing river stories and conservation reflection to audiences far beyond the Balkans.

Our paddling guidebook Soča from Source to Sea – Paddling Guidebook continues to generate interest. The book received an astonihing recognition when it was listed as a finalist at the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, placing it among the year’s most notable outdoor publications. In 2025 we held book presentations in Bovec, Tolmin, Kobarid and Ljubljana, introducing the book to paddlers, locals and river enthusiasts. Additional presentations took place in Italy, reflecting the Soča’s transboundary nature.

We also have a new film in the making and we are excited to share the news about it. After a very extensive research period followed by hundreds of days of filming we have just recently dove into the editing phase of what will become a tribute to Soča River and all the people that put their necks out in order to keep it wild. Heroes of the Soča will be a feature documentary sheding light on an unknown story of the Soča River and the historical (and not so historical) plans to dam it in it’s upper course. If there hadn’t been for a handfull of passionate people with courage and wisdom, the Soča would now be just a series of dead reservoirs from its source to the sea. It is a story of succes like no other in the Alps and we think it’s time to share it with the world – for the sake of thanking people that defended it and for the sake of inspiring the ones that will need to defend it in the future.

But we weren’t just behind the cameras and whiteboards…alongside creative projects, we watched closely as river governance and water policy evolved.

Early in the year a proposed Slovenian regulation on exceptions to environmental objectives in water management raised concerns about weakening protections under the guise of climate adaptation. Through public communication we highlighted the risks of such frameworks to rivers that are still flowing free. We kept on highlighting practices in the scope of after-flood reconstruction process that were evidently resulting in total river degradation, lower flood safety and insane profits for the private companies involved. In August we pointed out the shocking intervention into the river bed of the Soča River done by local concession holding river management company and the costs this created for the tax payers. Unfortunatelly our actions did not cause direct change, but at least people got to see what media did not show them. We will do our best to keep on informing you about what’s going on as one can’t try and solve the problem if they aren’t aware about the existence of a problem itself.

Defending rivers is often a marathon, demanding years of commitment and persistence. In June 2025, hard work by locals in Bulgaria and Romania was rewarded with successes for Balkan rivers and the communities that protect them. During Balkan Rivers Tour 4 in 2019, BRD joined Bulgarian river defenders in Kresna Gorge to oppose plans for a motorway that threatened to destroy the Struma River corridor. In June 2025, that long struggle reached a major milestone when authorities agreed to reroute the Struma Motorway outside the gorge, concluding a 28-year local campaign to protect the river. The decision stands as a powerful example of what sustained local advocacy can achieve.

BRD also visited the Bâsca Mare River in Romania during Balkan Rivers Tour 4, supporting local defenders and protesting at the proposed dam site. This past June, the Cluj Tribunal ruled that the dam and diversion will not proceed and ordered the removal of existing infrastructure, securing a major victory for the river and for those locals who worked tirelessly to defend it. Slow but steady, wins for rivers are possible!

Protecting rivers is an ongoing battle, and situation for rivers in Slovenia and in the Balkans remains very challenging, but as in previous years, we have chosen to meet change and challenge with persistence. In 2025 we again relied on films, stories, books and public engagement to put rivers in front of people in ways that are meaningful and accessible. As always, you are invited to help  –  by watching and sharing, by joining discussions and, where possible, standing with rivers in your own way.

Let’s hope that in 2026 many rivers will still flow freely  –  and that more people will see why this matters.

Thank you to everyone who supported our work, attended screening events, took a book home, or shared a river story with a friend. Your participation keeps this defence alive.

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Podobno kot v preteklih treh letih smo večino pozornosti posvetili slovenskim rekam, saj se težave zanje žal samo kopičijo; načrti za nove velike jezove, izjemno agresivna popoplavna obnova, onesnaževanje, prekomerni turizem in še kaj.

Da bi rekam dali glas in razkrili skrite sheme, ki jim škodujejo, smo še naprej vizualno pripovedovali zgodbe.

Konec leta smo naš celovečerni dokumentarni film Ena za reko: Zgodba Save objavili na spletu. Film je bil od premiere izbran na 28 filmskih festivalov v 16 državah, osvojil 13 mednarodnih nagrad, predvajan je bil na TV Slovenija 1 in prikazan na 95 dogodkih po vsej Sloveniji, kjer si ga je ogledalo več kot 10.000 ljudi. Mnogim je že omogočil intimno srečanje z reko Savo in njenimi pokrajinami, zdaj pa upamo, da bo to število postalo še večje. Oglejte si ga na YouTubu, brezplačno.

Tudi naši kratki filmi so nadaljevali svojo pot. Palice, role & resničnost na Soči je bil prepoznan kot najboljši kratki film na Festivalu Gorniškega filma v Ljubljani, največjem tovrstnem festivalu v regiji, medtem ko je naš najnovejši kratki film Potezanke, pogače & problemi na Krki prejel nagrado za najboljši ribiški film na kanadskem Paddling Film Festival in bil uradno izbran v program Flyfishing Film Tour (F3T) ter je bil od takrat prikazan na več kot 300 dogodkih v 14 državah, s čimer je zgodbe o rekah in razmišljanje o ohranjanju rek približal občinstvu daleč preko meja Slovenije.

Naša knjiga Soča od izvira do morja – veslaški vodnik še naprej vzbuja zanimanje doma in v tujini. Vodnik je prejel osupljivo priznanje, saj je bil uvrščen med finaliste na največjem festivalu outdoor kulture Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, kar ga je uvrstilo med najuglednejše outdoor publikacije v letu 2025. Leta 2025 smo imeli predstavitve knjige v Bovcu, Tolminu, Kobaridu in Ljubljani, kjer smo knjigo predstavili veslačem, domačinom in ljubiteljem reke. Čezmejni naravi Soče primerno so dodatne predstavitve potekale tudi v Italiji.

Z veseljem pa z vami delimo novico o novo nastajajočem dokumentarcu. Po obsežnem raziskovalnem obdobju, ki mu je sledilo več sto dni snemanja, smo se pred kratkim poglobili v fazo montaže filma, ki bo postal poklon reki Soči in vsem ljudem, ki so se preko let trudili, da bi jo ohranili divjo. Junaki Soče bo celovečerni dokumentarni film, ki bo osvetlil neznano zgodbo reke Soče in zgodovinske (in ne tako zgodovinske) načrte za zajezitev njenega zgornjega toka. Če ne bi bilo peščice strastnih ljudi s pogumom in vizijo, bi bila Soča od izvira do morja le še sosledje mrtvih akumulacij. To je zgodba o uspehu brez primera v prostoru Alp, zato menimo, da je čas, da jo delimo s svetom – zaradi zahvale ljudem, ki so jo branili, in zaradi navdiha tistim, ki jo bodo morali braniti v prihodnosti.

A kljub vsemu nismo bili le za kamerami. Poleg ustvarjalnih projektov smo pozorno spremljali dogajanje na in ob rekah.

V začetku leta je predlog Uredbe o določanju pogojev za izjeme glede okoljskih ciljev ob poseganju v vode sprožil upravičeno zaskrbljenost zaradi slabšanja zaščite rek pod krinko prilagajanja podnebnim spremembam. Z javnimi objavami in pripombami, ki smo jih skupaj z organizacijami Lutra, DPRS in Revivo poslali na ministrstvo smo opozorili na izjemna tveganja sprejema takšne uredbe. Še naprej smo opozarjali na sporne prakse v okviru procesa popoplavne obnove, ki je očitno povzročila popolno degradacijo rek, slabšo varnost pred poplavami in ogromne dobičke za vpletena zasebna podjetja. Avgusta smo opozorili na šokanten poseg v strugo reke Soče, ki ga je izvedlo vodno gospodarsko podjetje s koncesijo za urejanje reke Soče, in stroške, ki jih je to povzročilo davkoplačevalcem. Žal naša dejanja niso povzročila neposrednih sprememb, so pa vsaj ljudje videli tisto, česar jim mediji niso pokazali. Trudili se bomo, da vas bomo tudi v prihodnje ažurno obveščali o dogajanju, saj problema ni moč rešiti, če ne vemo, da sploh obstaja.

Braniti reke je pogosto maraton, ki zahteva leta predanosti in vztrajnosti. Junija 2025 je bilo trdo delo domačinov v Bolgariji in Romuniji končno nagrajeno z uspehi. Med turnejo Balkan Rivers Tour 4 leta 2019 se je BRD pridružil bolgarskim varuhom rek v soteski Kresna, kjer smo skupaj nasprotovali načrtom za gradnjo avtoceste, ki je grozila z uničenjem soteske reke Strume. Junija 2025 je ta dolgi boj dosegel pomemben mejnik, saj so oblasti javile, da bodo načrte za avtocesto Struma preusmerile izven soteske. S tem se je zaključila 28-letna kampanja za zaščito reke in njene soteske. Ta odločitev je dober prikaz tega, kaj lahko doseže vztrajno lokalno zagovorništvo.

BRD je med turnejo Balkan Rivers Tour 4 obiskal tudi reko Bâsca Mare v Romuniji, kjer smo podprli lokalne varuhe reke in skupaj protestirali na predlagani lokaciji jezu. Junija letos je sodišče v Cluju razsodilo, da se gradnja jezu in posledična preusmeritev reke ne bosta nadaljevala, za povrh pa je celo odredilo odstranitev obstoječe infrastrukture, kar je zagotovilo veliko zmago za reko in za domačine, ki so neutrudno delali na njeni obrambi. Vse to kaže na to, da so zmage za reke, če je le dovolj volje in vztrajnosti, možne.

Varovanje rek je vse prej kot enostavna zadeva. Groženj je vedno več, prav tako pa je vedno več tudi kapitala, ki te grožnje omogoča in podpira. Namesto, da bi bilo po toliko letih udejstvovanja vedno lažje, je v bistvu vedno težje. A če se bo le dalo, bomo vztrajali pri svojem in to na svoj način. Tudi leta 2025 smo se zanašali na filme, zgodbe, knjige in javno angažiranje, vse z namenom, da bi ljudem predstavili reke na zanimiv in dostopen način, saj jih lahko rešimo le skupaj. Kot vedno ste vabljeni, da pomagate – z ogledi in deljenjem filmov, z udeležbo v razpravah in, kjer je le mogoče, s tem, da na svoj način sami pomagate reki.

Upajmo, da bo leta 2026 veliko rek še vedno prosto teklo – in da bo več ljudi razumelo, zakaj je to pomembno in koristno.

Hvala vsem, ki ste podprli naše delo, se udeležili projekcij, kupili knjigo ali delili zgodbo o reki s prijateljem. Vaše sodelovanje in podpora ohranjata to obrambo živo.

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Now, it’s time to give the longest Slovenian river the opportunity to flow through your living room. Let it help you see what an extraordinary water wealth it still boasts, and how close it is to becoming just a series of smelly reservoirs due to the whims of the green transition and the greed of energy production companies.

On this occasion, we would like to thank the whole film team and everyone who helped, in any way, to make the film happen and bring Sava’s story to the people. May it continue to do so (and flow) for a long time.

The post ONE FOR THE RIVER: THE SAVA STORY NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE appeared first on Balkan River Defence.

Zdaj pa je napočil čas, da naši najdaljši reki damo priložnost za to, da slabo uro in pol teče tudi prek vaše dnevne sobe. Naj vam pomaga spregledati kakšno izjemno vodno bogastvo še imamo na sončni strani Alp ter kako malo manjka, da bo zaradi kaprice o zelenem prehodu in požrešnosti energetikov postala le še sosledje mrtvih jezer.

Ob tej priliki še enkrat hvala vsem ustvarjalcem filma in vsem, ki ste na kakršen koli način pripomogli k temu, da je film nastal in zgodbo Save ponesel med ljudi. Naj to počne še dolgo časa!

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More info on the book here:
https://balkanriverdefence.org/soca-isonzo-eng/

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