What initially inspired you to report on environmental issues and climate change?
I grew up in an environment where trash was thrown everywhere, even in ancient Roman artifacts. Nearby, a thermal power plant, a surface mine, and countless individual fire pits seriously impacted the health of our local community. My interest in a cleaner, healthier environment began in elementary school, through a subject called Čuvari prirode (Nature’s Guardians). I absorbed information from environmental magazines, encyclopedias, and educational TV shows.
Eventually, I chose journalism as a profession because I wanted to make a real difference. It gave me a platform to raise awareness and educate the public on critical ecological issues.
Can you highlight a local environmental initiative that made a lasting impression on you?
One of my favorite stories is how the citizens of Padina managed to fight illegal sand mining. Exploitation of this resource would threaten the local water source, an incredibly valuable resource in this Banat village. The village united and fought in all institutional ways. The Ecological Movement of Padina (EKOP) had an active role in this struggle. The excavation project was eventually shelved, and the village learned how to combat similar problems to come. Padina is a very beautiful and well-organized village, where there is a strong sense of belonging to the community. This example proves that when citizens unite, their voice must be heard.
What are the biggest challenges you face when reporting on environmental issues in Serbia?
The biggest obstacle is the lack of institutional transparency. Administrative bodies hide the answers behind closed doors, keeping them from journalists and citizens. Often, even for basic information, which should definitely be available on the site, a request for access to information of public importance must be sent. Thus, as citizens, they take away transparency, that is, supervision over their work.
How would you assess the balance between good and bad environmental practices in Serbia?
Unfortunately, bad practices far outweigh the good. Even initiatives promoted as environmentally friendly often cause more harm than good. An example of this is mini hydropower plants, projects that primarily serve private interests while harming biodiversity, public health, and long-term sustainability.
Take the case of the 600-year-old oak tree in Savinac. It was illegally cut down at night because it stood in the path of a highway construction project. Apart from historical and biological significance, this tree also had a spiritual value, because it served local citizens for customs, which remained from the time before Christianity. It’s a striking symbol of how those in power treat the public and the natural world.
How engaged are young people in Serbia with environmental issues?
I believe young people are deeply engaged—not only in Serbia but globally. The student and civic protests we see today clearly show that the youth is not politically passive, contrary to what earlier studies like KOMS suggested. It’s not that young people don’t care, it’s that they reject the outdated models of political participation that were offered to them.
When democratic institutions fail to provide a path for public input, the streets become the only available forum. Protesting for a clean environment, media freedom, or simply the right to live with dignity becomes an act of necessity.
The way we take care of the environment will affect its future, which the young will have longer than the older generations. Therefore, apart from young people changing their habits, they insist on greater care for nature by protesting. In Berlin, I witnessed a protest in which thousands of young people, some not even old enough to vote, filled the streets with banners demanding urgent action against climate change. These protests helped shape new policies across Europe.
On the other hand, the protests against lithium mining in our country resulted in superficial, temporary changes. It feels like the government is just waiting for public attention to fade before resuming harmful projects. This shows a deep disrespect toward citizens and it’s exactly why students are now standing up for true democracy.