The White Drin River, as a precious natural asset, has suffered continuous degradation over the years due to the illegal extraction of riverbed materials and the lack of effective response from the responsible institutions.

Following the recent operation by the Basic Prosecution Office of Prizren and the Environmental Crimes Investigation Unit along the White Drin’s course—from Landovica to Krusha e Vogël—the Chief Prosecutor of this office, Petrit Kryeziu, expressed his belief that the damages caused by the illegal extraction of riverbed materials are almost irreparable.

On this occasion, he emphasized the need for greater activity from the responsible inspectors, considering that environmental protection is their primary duty.

Monitoring conducted by EC Ma Ndryshe of the environmental sector within central and local administration (https://www.ecmandryshe.org/sq/publikimet) confirms that all of this is happening in the face of an inspection system that suffers from a significant lack of human resources, low transparency in reporting, and a predominantly reactive rather than preventive approach.

The latest monitoring report of the central administration shows that the Department for Inspection of Environment, Nature, Water, Construction, and Spatial Planning (MMPHI) lacks staff. It also confirms cases of environmental disruption caused by the illegal activities of individuals and legal entities, including the unlawful exploitation of riverbed materials.

The EU Report on Kosovo (https://kryeministri.rks-gov.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kosovo-2024-Report-SQ.pdf) also states that the capacities of environmental authorities—both central and local—to implement and strengthen the environmental acquis remain very limited, which seriously hampers progress in this sector, while structural reforms continue to face delays.

"The capacities of key institutions at both central and local levels, public enterprises, and river basin management authorities remain low and need further strengthening," the report states.

The degradation of the White Drin River in the aforementioned section has occurred in contradiction to a decision by the Government of Kosovo, adopted over a decade ago, prohibiting the extraction of riverbed materials from rivers. It also goes against the public declarations of the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (MMPHI) regarding “zero tolerance for river degraders” and the commitments of the Green Task Force against environmental crimes.

Despite these commitments, the situation on the ground presents a completely different reality—with illegal extraction, destruction of the riverbed, deviation of the river’s flow, formation of large pits, pollution, and loss of biodiversity.

The degradation of the White Drin seriously harms the ecosystem: gravel removal, pollution, and interference in the riverbed destroy wetlands and riparian forests, causing the loss of key habitats. Polluted water reduces oxygen levels and accumulates toxins, decreasing fish populations and other aquatic organisms. Fragmented riverbanks block wildlife movement and reduce genetic diversity. The decline in biodiversity weakens the natural functions of the river—such as water filtration and erosion protection—and directly affects the livelihoods of communities that depend on agriculture, fishing, and tourism.

To avoid these consequences, immediate measures are needed for sustainable management and restoration of damaged areas.

The KEPA (Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency) report on the impact of sand and gravel extractors on the environmental condition of rivers (ttps://ammk-rks.net/assets/cms/uploads/files/Raporti%20per%20gjendjen%20e%20lumenjeve%202022%20(alb).pdf) highlights that rivers have been exploited and polluted without any legally permissible criteria.

The report states that practically every river basin is degraded, with a special focus on the White Drin Basin. It further emphasizes that the methods of riverbed extraction and the rehabilitation of degraded surfaces are far from any standard of sustainable development or even the possibility of natural self-rehabilitation.

“The exploitation of riverbed materials has exceeded all natural limits for rivers to return to their previous state,” the report states.

The most common forms of degradation, according to the report, are accompanied by consequences such as:

Lowering of the riverbed

Widening of channels

Alteration of water flow

Damage to vegetation substrates along riverbanks

Formation of large pits due to riverbed extraction

Damage to flora and fauna habitats

Destruction of river ecosystems, etc.

In addition to ecological consequences, the degradation of the White Drin River directly impacts the livelihoods of communities along the river that rely on agriculture, fishing, and sustainable tourism. Moreover, the loss of biodiversity weakens the river’s natural function for water filtration, erosion protection, and maintaining natural balances.

For these reasons, the immediate and unconditional implementation of the White Drin River Basin Management Plan is needed, with an emphasis on halting the extraction of riverbed materials and restoring the damaged areas, as well as increasing transparency in this regard.

There must also be transparent and detailed reporting from MMPHI and the relevant state agencies on specific degradation cases, including statistics and precise locations.

Increasing the human and technical capacities of the inspection services is essential, along with the development of cooperation mechanisms with municipalities and civil society organizations for joint monitoring.

There must also be prosecution in accordance with legal provisions for all illegal exploiters, as well as appropriate implementation of punitive policies against environmental degradation.

The future of the White Drin cannot be left at the mercy of institutional silence and unlawful interests. Its preservation is a collective responsibility and an unavoidable obligation to future generations.