Forestry professor: Restoring Deliblato Sands must come first, while any construction needs expert public debate

Restoring Deliblato Sands should come before any discussion of construction, according to Nenad Petrović, a professor at the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Forestry. He said authorities must first assess the fire damage and begin restoring the area’s ecological functions.

Recent changes to Serbia’s planning and construction law state that forest land damaged or destroyed by fire retains the purpose assigned to it before the fire. However, the same provision allows a change of purpose when it is necessary to carry out a project deemed to serve the public interest, including public infrastructure projects. The issue has drawn attention from Transparency Serbia and RERI.

“

In this kind of division that is visible to the naked eye, everyone would automatically ask themselves what lies behind it.

Petrović said a land-use change could be discussed if it genuinely served the national and wider public interest and offered a clear social benefit. But he warned that, in the current social climate, any such decision would immediately prompt suspicion and negative reactions. “In this kind of division that is visible to the naked eye, everyone would automatically ask themselves what lies behind it,” he said.

“

What is missing is an expert public debate, not just once, but several times. Dialogue is needed in an open and transparent atmosphere, where people try to base their views on the knowledge and experience of those who work in this field.

He called for several expert public debates, not just one, with the participation of specialists, interested groups, local residents and members of parliament. “What is missing is an expert public debate, not just once, but several times. Dialogue is needed in an open and transparent atmosphere, where people try to base their views on the knowledge and experience of those who work in this field,” Petrović said.

The immediate task, he added, is to map the burned terrain and determine where the damage is total. Completely destroyed areas would require decisions on which tree species to replant, in what proportions and mixtures, and what supporting infrastructure is needed, particularly for fire protection. Restoring the ecological, social and economic functions of Deliblato Sands could take years or even decades. “The economy in Deliblato Sands is not in first place,” Petrović said.

“

The economy in Deliblato Sands is not in first place.