The “Kopački Rit”, Croatia, Danube’s most valuable and best preserved floodplain system along the Croatian – Serbian border is threatened with destruction.

The Natural Park “Kopački Rit”, is recognised as a Ramsar site for being a major natural floodplain of International Importance and is the core zone of the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve “Mura-Drava-Danube”, the so called ‘Amazon of Europe’, candidate to an inscription to the World Natural Heritage List of the UNESCO.

A major project from the Croatian Water Management Authorities to channel the River in this unique and natural area is currently in the final stage of decision.

If the project becomes reality, the Danube will be transformed into little more than a regulated canal.

Thus, the dynamic exchange of water between the river and its floodplain will stop and the unique wetlands will dry out with fatal consequences for wildlife: The Kopački Rit hosts 300 different bird species that will be put under threat and the White-tailed Eagle, and threatened species such as Little Tern, Black Stork and Ship Sturgeon would be in severe danger of local extinction.

National Conservation NGOS, of which DOPPS/ BirdLife in Slovenia is one of them, have come out with a “save the Amazon of Europe” petition to Mirela Holy, the Croatian Minister for Nature and Environment and Nature Protection, asking her to immediately halt this project.

Help save the Danube – go to – Petition - Amazon of Europe or BirdLife International.