The Una River is much more than a natural resource, it is part of the identity, it connects people, it provides opportunities for the development of tourism and agriculture, and any threat to this area causes justified concern, the Association “Green Team” Novi Grad announced on the occasion of the Day of this River, May 17.
Secretary of the Association Mladen Trninić pointed out that there is more and more talk about protecting the Una and its basin, but at the same time we are witnessing numerous pressures on this area.
He pointed to plans to store radioactive and other hazardous waste near this river on Trgovska gora, then pollution and uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources.
“All these are things that remind us that nature is not an inexhaustible resource and that what we lose today we may never be able to get back,” explained Trninić.
He explained that the Una is a part of the lives of the people of this region, but also something that will continue to shape the future of the area.
“We grow up with it, work with it, build families and plan for the future. That is why it is important that today, in addition to mentioning its beauty again and again, we also talk about the responsibility we have towards it,” said Trninić.
He pointed out that the Una, which connects people and cities on both sides of the border, nourishes the region, provides opportunities for the development of tourism, agriculture, sports and a healthy life.
Therefore, any serious threat to this area causes justified concern among citizens who live there and who want their children to grow up with a clean and healthy river, and not with a constant feeling of uncertainty.
On Una River Day, it is important to remind ourselves that nature protection is not the job of institutions and organizations alone.
“It is the responsibility of all of us. The way we relate to the river today speaks of the relationship we have towards the space in which we live and towards the generations that will come after us,” Trninić emphasized.
The total length of the Una River is 212.5 kilometers. It rises near the towns of Donja Suvaja and Donji Lapac below the slopes of the Plješevica and Stražbenica mountains in Croatia in the Lika region, and flows into the Sava River near Jasenovac, into which it delivers almost eight billion cubic meters of water annually.
The source of the river is located at an altitude of about 450 meters above sea level and resembles a miniature greenish-blue lake surrounded by large limestone rocks.
The Una flows through Martin Brod, Kulen Vakuf, Ripač, Bihać, Bosanska Krupa, Bosanska Otoka, Novi Grad, Kostajnica, Kozarska Dubica and flows into the Sava near Jasenovac.
28 different species of fish live in the Una River, and some specimens weigh up to 30 kilograms.
Almost two hundred different species of medicinal plants also grow near the river, and one rare plant, the Una bellflower, was named after the Una River.
The exceptional cleanliness of the Una was confirmed by the “White Flag”, an award given on September 11, 2013 by the organization “Global Underwater Divers Association”, which cleans and protects oceans, lakes and rivers around the world, and is part of the largest international network of divers, protectors of all water resources, Srna writes.
