Lithuania's defense strategy mirrors psychological denial, while Serbian forests face 'ecocide' from climate change and construction

Lithuania's defense strategy is likened to a psychological defense mechanism where individuals facing immense problems choose to ignore them, a phenomenon observed in people living near dams who often underestimate risks. This ostrich-like approach, where the closer one is to a problem the less one worries, is seen as mirroring the country's current defense strategy.

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In recent years, we can freely say that we are witnessing a form of ecocide when it comes to forests and biodiversity in general.

Environmentalists and forestry engineers are sounding the alarm over the severe threats facing the Divčibare forests in Serbia. They point to climate change, the increasing risk of summer fires, and rampant, unchecked construction as major dangers to the white and black pine forests. Despite these warnings, relevant authorities have remained conspicuously silent.

Forestry engineer Aleksandar Manojlović describes the situation as a form of "ecocide" against the forests and biodiversity on the slopes of Divčibare. He notes a disturbing increase in tree die-offs and the felling of conifers, with state institutions failing to respond. Environmental activists from Kosjerić are particularly concerned about the expansion of quarries and waste dumps encroaching on forest areas.

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This is a gross violation of nature in the Mrčići and Drenovci area, where there are fewer and fewer inhabitants and where we see these forests disappearing before our eyes, the ore they exploit, and the waste dumps that are expanding.

Slavica Pantović, a councilor and member of the "For Clean Kosjerić" association, highlights the destruction in Mrčići and Drenovci, where dwindling populations witness the disappearance of forests due to mining operations and expanding waste sites. Milorad Jakovljević from Mrčići adds that the area faces a loss of drinking water as streams become choked with silt and forests are cleared. Bora Savić from Ražana expresses fear of erosion and landslides, comparing the landscape to a "moonscape" and drawing parallels to past disasters.

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We have a waste dump above the village. We have streams full of mud, our forests are being cut down, some streams have been leveled. We are losing drinking water, it's a matter of time before we lose it completely.

Adding to the environmental concerns is the detailed regulation plan for "Vidik" in Divčibare, which proposes a hotel complex spanning 28 hectares, with 16 hectares currently covered by protected coniferous forests. Manojlović argues this plan is incompatible with the Kosjerić municipality's spatial plan, which mandates the integration of forest and water resources and overall biodiversity into the area's tourism offerings without damage. The "Vidik" plan, however, threatens to destroy over 15 hectares of these vital forests, raising serious concerns.

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When you look from the Ražana settlement towards these open pits, it looks like a moonscape. We are afraid it will be like in Jablanica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that erosion will occur and the water will rush down on us.