During the floods that struck the Municipality of Jablanica a year ago, 19 residents lost their lives, enormous material damage was caused, and nature suffered severe devastation. The Doljanka River’s riverbed was damaged along its entire course, and the plant and animal life was so endangered that, even after a year, it has not fully recovered.

The citizens’ association “Za Doljanku” (For Doljanka) and a group of activists from the Jablanica area gathered around the “Radi za Radak” (Work for Radak) initiative immediately joined efforts to save and restore what remained by organizing clean-up actions along the riverbanks, which were covered with large amounts of waste coming from nearby illegal dumpsites.

However, aware that illegal dumpsites have long been a major problem in the Municipality of Jablanica, and with the support of the PRAGG project, they also focused on finding a systemic solution to ensure the rehabilitation of existing dumpsites and prevent the formation of new ones in the future. At the end of 2024, they launched an initiative to increase the funds in the 2025 Municipal Budget allocated for the rehabilitation of illegal dumpsites and the maintenance of riverbanks.

The initiative was adopted, and the planned financial resources for these budget lines were increased by 100%, enabling the start of the rehabilitation of an illegal dumpsite in the Baćine neighborhood, located near the Radak swimming area and directly affecting the water quality of the Doljanka River.

They undertook a series of activities that included involving a large number of local residents in addressing the issue, holding a Citizens’ Assembly, organizing a petition, and officially submitting a citizens’ initiative to the Municipality of Jablanica.

Following their report, the municipal environmental inspector carried out an inspection, concluded that the dumpsite must be rehabilitated, and recommended installing additional waste containers in the area if necessary. The municipal departments then carried out the required legal procedures within their competences, selected the most favorable contractor, who has now gone to the field and started the rehabilitation works.

Activists gathered around the “Radi za Radak” initiative expressed satisfaction with the good cooperation so far with the Mayor of Jablanica, relevant municipal departments, and the management of the municipal utility company. They hope that their initiative will soon be fully implemented and will serve as a positive example for other local communities facing illegal dumpsites in their surroundings.