The right to water
Water is a basic human right, not a privilege. In this category, we explore topics related to the availability, management and protection of water as a common good. Through articles, analyzes and reviews, we address the issues of privatization of water resources, the impact of climate change, local water conservation initiatives, as well as the legislative frameworks that shape our right to access clean and safe water.
The permit for the “Velika Ploča” small hydropower plant, issued on the basis of falsified documents, has been nullified.
At the beginning of 2025, the initiatives “Protect the Rivers of Prijepolje” and “Right to Water” uncovered that the water permits and location conditions used as the basis for issuing the energy permit had been falsified. They reported this to the Ministry of Mining and Energy and to the relevant inspectorates. The evidence was so strong that the Ministry had no choice but to annul the energy permit granted to the company PowerIT for the construction of the “Velika Ploča” small hydropower plant on the Ratajska River.
In August 2025, a group of scientists from the “Siniša Stanković” Institute for Biological Research conducted a study of the lower course of the Studenica River. The research revealed a high level of biodiversity and a complex structure of the fish community. Preserving this unique ecosystem is of crucial importance.
The Right to Water initiative warns that Serbia is thirsty this summer as well. A severe drought, decreasing water levels and neglected water infrastructure, which is in an increasingly poor condition, have left dozens of towns and villages without a basic condition for life - clean drinking water. During June, July and August, 108 locations from all over the country - from the north of Vojvodina to the south of Serbia - applied for the right to water. People report dry wells, cloudy water, broken pipes, and the injustice they feel every time they turn on the faucet.
An informal group of citizens, Protect the Prijepolje River, filed a criminal complaint against the PowerIT company from Subotica and its legal representative due to well-founded suspicions that they obtained the energy permit for the construction of a small hydroelectric plant in Velika Ploča by falsifying official documents.
Polecol is among more than 150 organizations from around the world that signed the letter addressed to the UN Secretary General, who we ask to immediately initiate the work of an expert group for a just transition in the sector of critical raw materials.
Thank you Sole for your help with fixing the site. Everything you tell me in this training, I will convey to Jacqueline and the rest of the team. The subject…
