Exploratory mining in the period from the 1950s-1970s in eastern and central Serbia near the settlements of Mokra Gora and Lajkovac revealed the existence of 1% of nickel in the ore deposits. Today the region of Mokra Gora (Municipality of Uzice) has a status of a Natural Park (NP), while central Serbia, where Lajkovac is located (Municipality of Topola) is predominantly an agricultural region. |
Description:
Basic Data
| Name of conflict: | Nickel ore exploration in Mokra Gora region, Serbia |
| Country: | Serbia |
| Location of conflict: | Mokra Gora and Lajkovac |
| Accuracy of location | MEDIUM (Regional level) |
Source of Conflict
| Type of conflict. 1st level: | Mineral Ores and Building Materials Extraction |
| Type of conflict. 2nd level: | Mineral ore exploration |
| Specific commodities: | Nickel |
Project Details and Actors
| Project details | The mineral ores contain 0,7% of nickel. |
| Project area: | 10,000 |
| Type of population | Rural |
| Start of the conflict: | 2004 |
| End of the conflict: | 2005 |
| Company names or state enterprises: | Dinara Nikl DOO from United Kingdom - Holder of nickel ore exploratory permit |
| Relevant government actors: | Government of Republic of Serbia; The Ministry of Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial Planing; The Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia; Municipality of Uzice; Municipality of Topola |
| Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available: | Nature Park “Sargan-Mokra gora”: http://www.parkprirodemokragora.org/ |
Conflict & Mobilization
| Intensity | MEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization) |
| Reaction stage | PREVENTIVE resistance (precautionary phase) |
| Groups mobilizing: | Farmers Local government/political parties Neighbours/citizens/communities Local scientists/professionals Natural park workers |
| Forms of mobilization: | Development of a network/collective action Development of alternative proposals Media based activism/alternative media Public campaigns threat of filing a lawsuit by the municipal government |
Impacts
| Environmental Impacts | Potential: Air pollution, Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Desertification/Drought, Food insecurity (crop damage), Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Noise pollution, Soil contamination, Soil erosion, Deforestation and loss of vegetation cover, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Groundwater pollution or depletion, Large-scale disturbance of hydro and geological systems, Reduced ecological / hydrological connectivity, Mine tailing spills |
| Health Impacts | Potential: Malnutrition, Mental problems including stress, depression and suicide |
| Socio-economical Impacts | Potential: Displacement, Loss of livelihood, Loss of traditional knowledge/practices/cultures, Land dispossession, Loss of landscape/sense of place |
Outcome
| Project Status | Stopped |
| Conflict outcome / response: | Project cancelled Cancellation of exploratory permit |
| Development of alternatives: | The activists demanded cancellation of the Dinara Nikl DOO's exploratory permit issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial Planning. |
| Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?: | Yes |
| Briefly explain: | The Serbian Government withdrew the Dinara Nikl DOO's exploratory permit. |
Sources & Materials
| Links to general newspaper articles, blogs or other websites |
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Meta information
| Contributor: | Jovanka Spiric, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, vankajo(at)gmail.com |
| Last update | 21/11/2014 |
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