TUZI, Montenegro: Dozens of environmental activists cycled from Montenegro’s capital to the Albanian border on Saturday to protest over the neighbouring nation’s construction of a dam on the Cijevna river that flows through both countries. As governments hurry to meet renewable energy goals set by the Paris climate change agreement, plans to build almost 3,000 small hydro-power plants have sparked protests across the Balkans this year. At Saturday’s demonstration, some of the protesters carried placards reading “The Cijevna is our Fortune.” “Don’t (put) the Cijevna in pipes,” red a banner spread along a bridge over a dry river bed, where protesters gathered. Critics say the dams are endangering Europe’s last free-flowing rivers, including the Cijevna, or Cem as it is called in Albanian.
“When you clog veins in a human body, a human dies; so do rivers,” said Adem Kajosaj, 60, a pensioner and fisherman from the area around the border town of Tuzi, who joined the protest. A dam on the 60 kilometre-long river is already being built, and protesters say Albania did not request consent from authorities in Montenegro or notify them about the project. They have also criticised Montenegrin authorities for failing to lodge a protest with Albania. The two countries signed a deal on joint water management earlier this year. Authorities and investors say boosting hydro power will reduce regional dependency on coal and comply with European Union energy policies. — Reuters
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