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The environmental blockade of Kozhuv Mountain in North Macedonia: ‘We will stand here until the end’ [1]
['Metamorphosis Foundation']
Date: 2025-07-22
This article by Antonija Popovska first appeared in Meta.mk on July 14, 2025. An edited version is being republished on Global Voices under a content partnership agreement with the Metamorphosis Foundation.
The announcement of the construction of two small hydroelectric plants on the Došnica River (also called Doshnica) has raised the alarm for environmental organizations and local activists who are currently blocking access. The river is located on Kožuv Mountain (also called Kozhuv) in the southern part of North Macedonia near the Greek border; its source lies below the Zelen Breg (Green Hill) peak, near a ski resort that was never opened. Activists say that in preparation for the construction alone, as much as 1,000 cubic meters of forest have been felled.
It’s a hot July day as the Meta.mk team drives slowly along the road to Smrdliva Voda, the site where a large protest against the construction of the power plants took place on June 29. The landscape is picturesque, full of tall, verdant trees.
A few kilometers away from Smrdliva Voda (Stinky Water), a popular tourist site with hot springs, the team heads towards Asan Cheshma, where there are several parked vehicles and dozens of eco-activists, citizens, and well-wishers from different parts of North Macedonia. People from Delčevo, Skopje, and Gevgelija are all united by a single goal — to oppose any construction on the mountain that would destroy nature and its treasures. They have been firmly positioned at their roadblock, day and night for nearly a month now.
Losing forest
Kristijan Alchinov, a professional beekeeper, apitherapist, and longtime Kožuv Mountain activist, is distressed about the large area of trees that has already been cut down.
He explains:
Ако дојде, пак, до изградба, ќе треба да се прекопува течението на реката Дошница долж 4 километри, а со ширина од 8 метри. Тоа значи дека целата флора, фауна и ендемичните видови, ќе бидат уништени. Дошница е најчистата река во Македоинја, од која може да се пие вода и е наше богатство и затоа не смее да се дозволи чепкање во нејзината разновидност. Покрај рибите, пастрмката, разновидните ракови, ендемичните мовови, една од најважните видови е медоносната пчела апис мелифера македоника, чие живеалиште е Црвени стени, кој е всушност еден долг предел по течението на Дошница. Тие би биле буквално истребени од нивното живеалиште, а тоа богатство е непроценливо и тоа не може да се мери со ниеден државен, општествен и каков и да е интерес и профит.
If construction were to proceed, the Došnica River would have to be dredged along a four-kilometer stretch and widened to eight meters. This means that all flora, fauna, and endemic species would be destroyed. Došnica is the cleanest river in Macedonia, from which you can drink water, and it is our treasure, therefore its diversity must not be disturbed. In addition to fish, trout, various crustaceans, endemic mosses, one of the most important species is the honey bee Apis mellifera macedonica, whose habitat is Crveni Steni [Red Rocks], which stretches along a long area of the Došnica River. They would be literally wiped out from their habitat, and that wealth is priceless. It is beyond any measure of state, social, or economic interests and profit.
Alchinov and the other activists say they will not back down; will not allow such “malicious projects” to be carried out.
The environment minister should keep his word
Marina Tomova, an activist from Gevgelija connected to the civil society organization Change Makers, says that when they were notified that a truck and tractor-trailer were on their way to the area, they blocked them near Smrdliva Voda.
“[T]he contractor company came with a tractor with the intention of loading the machines that [were] already on the ground. They said that their permit had been revoked and that they were going to take the machines. But unfortunately, that was a lie. Until the moment the building permit is revoked, we will stay here,” Tomova says. “The Minister of Environment and Physical Planning, Izet Medziti, said that he would do everything for the benefit of the citizens. We are taking him at his word, although the government, unfortunately, decided that the building permit will last until April 2026.” Tomova is determined to remain at the blockade until the end, doing whatever she can to block construction activities at the site.
Eco-activist Risto Kamov says that the protesters have submitted a request to the country's parliament, beseeching the government to respect the international agreements it has signed, which require public consultation with regard to the construction of any projects that threaten the environment:
Врз основа токму на овие договори, во Црна Гора и во БиХ вакви хидроцентрали не се градат од 2022 година. За жал, почнавме со заштитата на Дошница поради мегаломански проект за изградба на хидроцентрали кои сакаат да ја стават реката во цевка на 20 километри, што ќе значи уништување на целиот биодиверзитет и уништување на сите ендемски видови, не само пчелите, пастрмките, туку и други животни ендемични кои ги има само на Кожув планина. Ние бараме да се почитуваат конвенциите бидејќи секаде во Европа се вадат цевките од реките, и се оставаат реките да одат по својот природен тек. Еднаш засекогаш да престанеме со овие девастирачки проекти.
Based on these agreements, such hydropower plants have not been built in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2022. Unfortunately, we started protecting Doshnica because of a megalomaniacal project to build hydropower plants that want to pipe the river for 20 kilometers, which will mean the destruction of all biodiversity and endemic species — not only bees [and] trout, but also other endemic animals that are only found on Kozhuv Mountain. We demand that the conventions be respected because everywhere in Europe, pipes are being removed from rivers, and the rivers are being left to follow their natural course. Let's stop these devastating projects once and for all.
Katerina Ilijovska, a technologist and activist from Skopje who is connected with the environmental association Yes for Less, was also part of the roadblock:
Живеев во Шпанија, пред неколку месеци се вратив овде. Формирав еко-здружение. Прв пат сум на Кожув и не можам да разберам како луѓето кои се од овој крај не се овде во поголем број. Во Шпанија лани имаа суша поради климатските промени, не можеа да се полеваат јавните површини, имаше рестрикции, немаше вода. Од овде доаѓа тоа дека е важно да ја чуваме природата. Не сме свесни што имаме како богатство. Не сфаќаме колкава важност има планината. Верувам дека ќе успееме да спречиме изградба на објекти. Има многу примери од Црна Гора и Босна, се изгласаа закони со кои се забрани изградба на мали хидроцентрали. Има и документарци со луѓе кои седеле на вакви блокади по 365 дена, и на крај нивниот активизам вродил со плод. И ние верувам дека ќе успееме.
I lived in Spain; I returned here a few months ago. I formed an eco-association. This is my first time in Kožuv and I can't understand how people from this region aren't here in larger numbers. Last year in Spain they had a drought caused by climate change; public areas couldn't be irrigated, restrictions were imposed, there was no water. That’s where the idea of preserving nature comes from. We're not aware of the treasure we have here. We don't understand how important the mountain is. I believe that we will succeed in preventing the construction of [these] facilities. There are many examples from Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, laws were passed that banned the construction of small hydropower plants. There are also documentaries with people who sat on such blockades for 365 days, and in the end their activism bore fruit. We believe that we will succeed too.
The activists stand guard at the mountain around the clock, taking turns to sleep in tents. Well-wishers from different cities come to support them by bringing them water and food.
Although the mayors of the nearby municipalities of Demir Kapija, Gevgelija, and Kavadarci initiated a proposal to declare Kožuv a national park, only Lazar Petrov, the mayor of Demir Kapija, attended the last protest in Smrdliva Voda, despite all three having being invited.
Across the Balkans, various groups of activists have been protesting the construction of more than 2,700 small hydroelectric power plants, which experts say threaten the environment and freshwater sources.
[END]
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[1] Url:
https://globalvoices.org/2025/07/22/the-environmental-blockade-of-kozhuv-mountain-in-north-macedonia-we-will-stand-here-until-the-end/
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