Montenegro’s water quality, both in rivers and along the coastline, is generally considered to be satisfactory, being an important factor in upholding the tourism industry in the country. However, recently, a threat to the natural state has become quite evident. The problem lies in the pollution along the banks of rivers Drina and Lim. Here, thousands of tons of non-biodegradable waste are being dumped, threatening the ecosystems formed along the rivers, as well as the water quality itself. Once the waters of Lim pick up the waste during the rising of the water level, it is carried down the stream, polluting more areas, eventually flowing into Drina and even traveling to other countries.

Naturally, such a situation requires immediate action. As the river flows through the territories of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro, efforts in fighting the issue are desired to be seen from all parties. Actions taken to determine the exact pollution causes have revealed that illegal waste dumps along the river banks have become a large contributor. In order to improve the situation, legislation in those areas needs to be improved, and clean-ups organized.

The main area of concern in Montenegro is the downstream part of the river in Bijelo Polje, as the quality of water there is especially alarming. Several plant species have already disappeared from the river banks in the region, and reports of dead fish floating up to the surface have been recorded. Sadly, the actions currently taken are not enough to fully mitigate the issues, as waste dumping fines are quite low, and not enough cleaning-up efforts are taking place. Although some steps, such as mapping out illegal landfill sites and efforts to improve the legislatory side of the issue, have been undertaken, a lot is left to be desired. In my opinion, putting more effort into active cleaning of the river and the removal of the already discovered waste sites would be beneficial to the ecosystems in the region.

Overall, this problem presents to be a significant issue, and should be addressed in the most urgent manner. I hope that more actions are undertaken in the region, as the ecosystems are already severely damaged. 

Sources: 

https://newseu.cgtn.com/

https://www.icpdr.org/