What we have done so far

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Montenegrin Ecologists Society/ Crnogorsko Društvo Ekologa was Established in Montenegro in 2012, it stands as a leading organisation dedicated to ecology and environmental protection:

  1. Komarnica Campaign:
    Led a campaign opposing the construction of a new dam at Komarnica in both 2022 and 2023. Is the main establisher of the “Save Komarnica” initiative together with other NGOs and individuals.

  2. Educational Camp and Protest:
    Organized educational camps and protests at Komarnica in both 2022 and 2023. Article by Euronatur

  3. Bern Convention Complaint:
    Filed a complaint with the Bern Convention in April 2022, alleging Montenegro's failure to protect the Komarnica Emerald Site and assess the project's impacts adequately.

  4. Direct Advocacy:
    Presented river conservation strategies directly to the Montenegrin government and the prime minister in spring 2023, as well as to the representative of the Directorate of the Environment of EU Commission in Brussels in winter 2023.

  5. River Summits and Conferences:
    Presented Komarnica case at the European River Summit in Brussels in 2022, and will present scientific evidence of the importance of Komarnica at the Free Flow Conference in The Netherlands in April 2024. Presented Komarnica case on the conferences, such as Razbistravanje in Belgrade, 2022 and at the Biodiversity and Nature Conservation in the Western Balkans in Munchen.

  6. Scientific research in Komarnica canyon:
    Were hosts to the Biodiversity Survey expedition as well as Taxon Expeditions that researched Komarnica in summer 2023, resulting in the Komarnica biodiversity preliminary report (full report is expected in February 2024): https:

Scientific research will be deepened in summer 2024 by Taxon expeditions as well as within the programme of student research camps.

RiverLov was established in 2023 and joined forces with MES to expand the grassroots movement for river protection in Montenegro:

  1. European Network of Water Bodies:
    One of the participating waters of the European Confluence of Waters advocating for the Rights of Nature across nine European countries.

  2. Sensor Partnerships:
    Formed partnerships with sensor experts to pioneer a river health monitoring system integrated with AI. AI Chat for Rivers: Introduced the first-of-its-kind AI chat for rivers, facilitating communication with real-time river data.

  3. Science Week Participation:
    Actively participated in Science Week at Neretva in 2023, contributing to data collection for preventing additional dam constructions.

  4. Symbiotic Lab Collaboration:
    Initiated collaboration with the Symbiotic Lab and Spree Berlin to advance the river sensor project, demonstrating commitment to environmental innovation.

  5. Legal Landscape Analysis:
    Assembled a legal team conducting a comprehensive legal landscape analysis in Montenegro, strategically formulating legal approaches for effective river conservation.