The decision on rivers is not implemented even in municipalities governed by the LVV

The Municipality of Shtime is not respecting a decision of the Ministry of Environment, which prohibits the concreting of river beds. According to the Ministry, even where works have already started, they must be stopped if they have not passed 90 percent of completion. However, on the Shtime River, the works have not even reached 90 percent of completion and continue without any obstacles.

Works on concreting the bed of the "Shtimjanja" river in Shtime have continued, despite the decision of the Ministry of Environment to temporarily suspend the works.

The suspension of ongoing construction works on riverbeds is due to the Ministry of Environment's decision to stop concreting riverbeds.

"Currently, river regulation activities are being carried out in the municipalities of Shtime and Deçan. Based on the decision of the Minister of the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, Ms. Fitore Pacolli, the temporary order to suspend works applies to river segments that have not completed over 90 percent of the works," the Ministry said in a response.

The Municipality of Shtime has started the construction of this riverbed at the end of 2025.

In a response to KOĞEN, it is noted that in the justification of the ministry's decision, it is emphasized that: "This decision as above does not violate the substance of existing contracts, but requires their technical adaptation to the environmental standards in force, guaranteeing that public funds are spent on projects that do not harm the environment."

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"Consequently, the Municipality of Shtime has reviewed the contract in the remaining segments, so that their implementation is in full compliance with environmental standards and legal requirements in force," the response states, but it does not indicate the reasons why work continues on the river.

The Shtimjanja River passes through the village of Vojnoc, where residents have faced flooding for years.

However, the village head, Musë Shabani, hopes that in this way, floods will be prevented in the future.

But he said he knows nothing about the Ministry of Environment's decision.

"To tell you the truth, in recent years, almost every time it has rained, it has been impossible not to flood the river and almost the entire village has been flooded. Not only the houses, but also the agricultural lands have been damaged. The villagers have been satisfied because as you can see, it has an extremely good width, not as wide as the river, but it has expanded more. I consider that it will benefit the village a lot and there will be no more consequences like there were before with floods," said Shabani.

The decision to ban the concreting of river beds has been welcomed by water and environmental experts, because the approach so far, in addition to damaging the ecosystem, has led to the flooding of many areas and damage to citizens' property.

But there are not enough funds to remove concrete from riverbeds in Kosovo, where millions of dollars in investments have been made for years.

"Unfortunately, there are many such projects, but at this stage we do not have sufficient funds to intervene in these projects. In the future, we will also see EU funds and other funds to ensure their return to their natural state," a response from the Ministry of Environment states.

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According to this institution, the projects being developed will be made with environmentally friendly materials.

"Part of the projects being implemented will be carried out with environmentally friendly materials such as; natural stones, natural bank protection, planting trees and shrubs, etc., thus ensuring the protection of the riverbed in a natural way and at the same time preserving the river ecosystem," the response states.

According to the Ministry, for projects that have not yet started, but for which memorandums of understanding have been signed, they will intervene together with the relevant municipalities to eliminate concrete in rivers.

A month ago, the Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Fitore Pacolli, announced that she had issued a decision to immediately ban the concreting of river beds throughout Kosovo.

According to Pacolli, this decision puts an end to an old, harmful and dangerous practice.

"This practice has not only destroyed our ecosystems, but has significantly increased the risk of flooding our settlements and lands. Concrete is neither safety nor cleanliness. On the contrary, it turns the river into a 'runway' where the water reaches dizzying speeds, becoming a serious threat to citizens' properties," she announced on April 8.

She estimated that by leaving the riverbed natural, "we allow the land to 'breathe' and absorb water, creating a natural and sustainable protection against floods."

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"This ban does not affect existing contracts, but requires their technical adaptation to environmental standards. We must guarantee that public funds are spent only on projects that protect nature and increase the safety of life," Pacolli said.

According to her, with the decision made, the "chapter of cold concrete" was closing and the "era of life restoration" was opening.