21 January 2011: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is implementing a three-year project to clean sites affected by industrial pollution in the Western Balkans and to promote the sites, including abandoned mine areas, as an eco-tourism hub. According to UNDP, the project is “pioneering a green economy.”

The project is supporting the community surrounding the abandoned Brskovo mine in the municipality of Mojkovac, in promoting nature tourism. The mine is located near the UNESCO World Heritage site Tara River Canyon, where the community has introduced biking and kayaking. The Tara is the deepest and longest river in Europe, and the project is attracting visitors and generating economic opportunities. The initiative received a national award in 2010 for best practice in local development.

The project also led the construction of the first modern wastewater treatment plant in Montenegro, in operation since November 2009. The plant is expected to provide sanitation to Mojkovac’s population until at least 2020. [UNDP Press Release]