Abstract

The first years after breakup of the Soviet system reminded us those of the early stages of wild capitalism when everything was possible without punishment. When all plants and factories have been broken down and sold as scrap iron in abroad our governments began to look on country’s natural resources as the easiest source to get money. The first target was our valuable beech forests that have been overharvested and sold as round wood abroad. Then, in 2006-2010 about 70 licenses have been given to foreign businessmen. It was neither profitable, nor admissible by sustainable point of view for development of mountain forests. Moreover, it degraded our forests further and had detrimental consequences for local ecosystems. Along with destroying forests governments of these periods tried to develop on high mountain rivers gigantic hydroelectric plants that will have catastrophic adverse effects on local ecosystems, cultural heritage and displacement of local population who constantly protesting against development of these projects because they don’t have ecologically based strong arguments of safe development and possible consequences of this project. This protesting movement is being supported by ecologists, NGOs and local population.

Keywords: Hydropower; Plant; Detrimental; Ecosystem; Heritage; River; Reservoir; Dam; Earthquake