Croatian Caves on Radio 4

[underwhere]

On 31/08/2011 'Costing The Earth' on Radio Four at 2100 is expected to be about the threat to species living in Croatian caves. It should be available on 'Listen Again' for a week after that.

 

[Bob Mehew]

Next Wednesday 31st, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b013q3nr .  Blurb states:

Deep beneath southern Europe there stretches a 500 kilometre long subterranean world. Underground rivers and vast caverns are home to unique and unusual species like the blind salamander and the freshwater sponge. Barely explored, the caves of Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Albania are facing up to a rash of environmental threats.

In Costing the Earth Tom Heap will be joining caver and Whitley Award-winning biologist, Jana Bedek to explore the caves, spot the wildlife and witness the destruction. Waste dumping and agricultural pollution are damaging waterways all through the cave system but it's in Croatia that some of the toughest challenges exist. Preparing for European Union membership the country is pushing ahead with the development of highways and hydro-electric plants. The construction is threatening some of the most valuable wildlife sites on the continent but the damage is invisible to most local people and all but the most adventurous of visitors.

Is damage unavoidable in the rush to join the EU or does Croatia risk losing its natural foundations?

 

[James Hall]

Thanks Bob,

I'll be sure to listen out for this!

 

[Leo]

Radio 4 have a programme on this evening at 9 o'clock which you may find interesting - "costing the earth":

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b013q3nr

Alex Henderson


(Previously posting using login Dear Noel Axle, which doesn't appear to work anymore).

 

[manrabbit]

Interesting pod cast on radio 4 about the caves in the Balkans.

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/costearth/costearth_20110831-2119a.mp3

 

[alastairgott]

There was a piece on newsnight and so there's a video on their website BBC News - Newsnight - Developers threaten animals in Croatia's cave network
I wont go into a full rant    but i don't like what seems to be occuring in croatia.

 

[Colin_W]

I was in Dubrovnik this summer and spoke to a local caver about this problem - The River Ombla is a huge resurgence and the subject of a massive hydro plan ( http://www.tunneltalk.com/Croatia-Nov10-Ombla-hydro-scheme-entirely-underground.php .  There is a scrabble across all the karst by local politicians to get their hands on any potential money making schemes - across the border in Bosnia - Vjetrenica one of the most ecologically rich caves in the world has been taken from the safe hands of bio-speleologists by local government officials - there are horrific plans for road building and waste dumps directly over the cave.  Popovo Polje the river valley that feeds much of the karst in this area has been canalised along much of its length for the sake of hydro - wiping out many species and drying up most of the sink holes along the valley.  All in all a sad situation -Ivo Lučić a local scientist, journalist & campaigner has fought for protection of this area and raised awareness to an international level - even undertaking a hunger strike - to no avail... It's a very sad picture to see what economic progress is doing.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/vjetrenica-cave-threat/
http://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ie=UTF-8&ion=1&nord=1#pq=vjetrenica&hl=en&sugexp=gsis%2Ci18n%3Dtrue&cp=18&gs_id=v&xhr=t&q=vjetrenica+hunger&pf=p&sclient=psy&nord=1&site=webhp&source=hp&pbx=1&oq=vjetrenica+hunger+&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=fa66848d4e377cdf&biw=1024&bih=441&ion=1