National parks and biodiversity
Kosovo has different types of protected areas that cover more than 10% of its territory. The country has two national parks.
The Šar Mountains National Park: located in the southeast of the country, it protects the mountain range of the same name and its rich biodiversity of fauna (mammals, birds) and flora.
The national park of the Cursed Mountains (Bjeshket e Nemuna): located in the west of the country and bordering Albania and Montenegro, it is known for its mountainous ecosystems. It is classified as an area of international importance for birds.
The main causes of biodiversity decline, as documented by the IPBES, a platform of international experts on the subject, are pollution, overexploitation of species, climate change, habitat destruction and invasive species. Kosovo is affected by most of these factors, notably through deforestation and rapid urbanization. The country is also faced with significant environmental pollution, linked to poor water and waste management, but also to industrial activity associated with a heavy legacy from the Yugoslav period.
The challenges of water
The water issue has several dimensions in Kosovo. The pollution of watercourses is important, linked to the insufficiency of wastewater treatment systems and waste treatment facilities. The issue of water resources is also an important subject in a country that has been facing droughts for several years and is even more vulnerable to climate change.
An environmental liability
The country has inherited from the Titist period an environmental liability linked to industrial and mining activities that have caused the pollution of natural environments. The war in Yugoslavia also had environmental impacts, especially during the NATO bombing in 1999, with the use of depleted uranium ammunition.
The burning issue of coal
The country remains extremely dependent on fossil fuels. More than 90 per cent of the electricity produced comes from two coal-fired power plants, located in Obiliq, near Pristina. These two power plants, known as Kosovo A and Kosovo B, were built during the Yugoslav period and are the result of lignite mining. The thermal power plants, in addition to emitting greenhouse gases, release agents that are harmful to human health and the environment (sulphur dioxide, dust, fine particles) with levels that greatly exceed the threshold values recommended by the WHO. The dilapidated state of the installations, combined with the absence of sufficient effluent treatment systems, contribute to the dissemination of pollution. In the front line are the inhabitants and employees of the plants. Pristina is among the most polluted cities in Europe. In 2013, the World Bank estimated that the negative externalities linked to coal (i.e. the cost of environmental and health pollution) amounted to nearly 7% of the country's GDP. According to the European Environment Agency, the number of premature deaths related to air pollution in Kosovo would amount to 3,700. This is a worrying situation in a country where life expectancy is one of the lowest in Europe.
The low price of coal in Kosovo has contributed to the maintenance of this energy sector (with 10% of lignite coal from the Balkans exported to the European Union), and to the development of a significant cryptocurrency mining activity, a very energy-intensive but very lucrative activity. The country does not seem to have begun its energy transition, despite international pressure. Kosovo was also considering the construction of a third coal-fired power plant, with the Kosova e Re (New Kosovo) project, nicknamed "Kosovo C" by its detractors. The stated aim was to make the country self-sufficient in energy. However, the project was refused funding from the World Bank. Kosovo, which has to import 40% of its electricity, found itself in a paroxysmal situation in the winter of 2021, when the Kosovo I power plant had to be shut down in December for work. In a situation of shortages, supply difficulties (Russian gas) and soaring prices, the government declared a state of emergency, giving the right to cut off power. It was also decided to ban the mining of crypto-currencies in January 2022. In the face of this crisis situation, protests were held against the government.A growing environmental awareness
Environmental activism is gaining momentum and is beginning to find political support, a trend that can be observed throughout the Balkans. The management of water and waste remains a significant issue in Kosovo, with insufficient treatment facilities. This generates pollution of the natural environment, particularly rivers, with environmental and health consequences. The least polluting waste is that which is not produced, and associations are campaigning to treat pollution and reduce it at source. Thus, the association Let's Do It Peja sets up operations to raise the awareness of the inhabitants in the city of Peja around the reduction and sorting of waste, or cross-border projects related to the river Drin. The University of Pristina has developed an expertise in environmental sciences. The end of 2021 saw the successful conclusion of a legal dispute between two environmental activists and an Austrian company, Kelkos Energy. The two activists had voiced their concern, via social networks, about the environmental impact and legality of a hydropower plant construction project, and had been sued for defamation. The company finally backed down, dropping its lawsuit. The company's actions were highlighted by NGOs (including Amnesty International) as a "gagging lawsuit", a move that would silence any public mobilization.
