On April 12, Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS) held a Press Conference to launch the online platform Ambientalisti.info, which is a comprehensive platform aiming to provide provide regular information and encourage civic involvement in environmental issues in Kosovo. Over the last decade, environmental protection has not been considered a priority in Kosovo. Moreover, the involvement of citizens in decision-making processes on environmental issues remains barely existent. The lack of inclusivity in the environmental process is of a great concern, and it is mostly as a result of political reluctance to involve citizens in such significant processes. Due to the abovementioned problems, years later, Kosovo is facing illegal hydropower plants, quarries, buildings and many other structures which have severely degraded the environment and changed the life of the people living close to them. On the other hand, the Constitution of Kosovo stipulates that the responsibility for environmental protection belongs to all and that citizens are guaranteed involvement in decision-making processes related to the environment in which they live, while obliging public institutions to commit to ensuring this fundamental right.

The platform contains the following features: (1) Dates of public debates planned to be held for projects affecting the environment; (2) Automatic and region specific notifications and reminders sent to citizens affected as well as notifications for open public consultations; (3) Documentation for each debate and public consultation available to download; (4) A report box, where citizens can report on environmental issues, and will be guided / advised on their right and competencies as citizens in order to protect the environment; (5) An overview of the legislative framework and strategies in place, providing real time notifications on any changes occurring at national or regional level; and (6) Illustrative infographics on increasing awareness about environmental issues.

The purpose of the platform is to become an information centre on environmental issues in Kosovo, and a place where citizens and communities across Kosovo can be regularly informed and encourage civic activism. GLPS, through this platform, remains committed to raising civic awareness on their crucial role to protect the environment. Therefore, we invite all citizens to use the platform “Ambientalisti.info” and become part of the policy-making process and decision-making for the environment, starting from the place where they live.

The platform is available in Albanian and Serbian and can be accessed here. The platform was initially presented and functionalized by the Institute for Development Policy – INDEP. Ambientalisti can also be found on Facebook.

This activity is implemented within the project titled: “Increasing civic activism in environmental reforms through an active civil society”, supported by the “Civil Society Program for Albania and Kosovo”, funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and managed by the Kosovo Civil Society Foundation (KCSF) in partnership with Partners Albania for Change and Development (PA).