Everyone can do something for Lika, starting here and now

A civic initiative from Gospić is bringing its warning about at least 35,000 tonnes of hazardous waste to the streets of Zagreb. Under the slogan “Walk for Lika, walk for Croatia,” members of “Gospić Is Our Home” will walk from the main railway station to Ban Jelačić Square with support from people across the country.

The figure represents an estimate of the dangerous waste buried and scattered around Gospić. The article describes Lika, often called the green heart of Croatia, as having been turned into a “ticking environmental bomb.” The issue has moved beyond the region as a symbol of opposition to institutional sluggishness and systemic negligence that could threaten another part of Croatia tomorrow.

Government data shows that public awareness still needs encouragement. A survey published in May by the Institute for Environment and Nature found that only 8% of respondents who had noticed illegally dumped waste would report it. While 90% said separating household waste was important, 45.7% of those who did not report illegal dumping said they believed reporting was pointless, and 41.4% did not know whom to contact.

More than 92% of respondents had not heard of ELOO, a system created and operated by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition. Reports submitted through the system add confirmed dumping sites to a map after verification by municipal wardens.

Raising environmental awareness in local communities is a central mission of Večernji List’s Resolution Earth project, launched in late 2021. Its annual cleanup campaigns, held around Earth Day, have removed more than 450 tonnes of waste and brought together more than 40,000 volunteers. The cleanups have taken place across Croatia, from Čiovo, Zlarin, Murter, Premuda and Silba to cities including Križevci, Knin, Samobor, Šibenik, Osijek, Pula, Vinkovci, Metković and Gospić.