24.08.2021.
During the weekend, a humanitarian, ecological and education drive "Ranger Croatia – 4 Rivers” took place on the banks of the River Korana in Karlovac, organised by the Croatian Federation of Rangers and Ranger Security d.o.o. The aim of the two-day event was to track the rivers from their source to the estuary and show the abundance of drinking river water in Croatia, as well as the pollution caused by human activity.“The Fund recognised this drive as a valuable project, with humanitarian, ecological, and even social component,” said in her opening speech Irena Dubravec, advisor to the director of the Fund. “During its 17 years, the Fund has concluded and co-financed more than 45000 contracts with environmental protection as their overarching goal. This year the Fund earmarked 900 million kunas for grants, with 100 million solely for environmental protection and landscape diversity projects,” said Dubravec, adding that the Fund is providing co-financing and cooperation in line with the strategic documents, especially the European Green Deal as the key document. “The programme of this drive complies with the Green Deal because it is implemented as public private partnership, in cooperation with a number of partners, citizens and children, which is exemplary of jointly achieving sustainability goals. It is in the interest of all of us to have drives like this one more often, and to have the towns, ministries, citizens, institutions, associations and companies cooperate together. The Croatian Rangers are an important link in the environmental protection chain with a bright future before them, and will be at the citizens’ disposal,” she concluded.
Assistant minister of interior Damir Trut, on behalf of the Civil Protection Directorate of the Croatian Ministry of Interior, pointed out that the action fully complied with the tasks of the Directorate and the entire civil protection system. He emphasised that the main task of the civil protection was to protect the people, material goods and environment. “With the aim of achieving as sustainable as possible development, especially regarding the water resources and environmental protection in general, the Civil Protection Directorate and the Croatian Platform for reducing the risk from disasters are continuously implementing awareness-arising activities and promoting changes in our behaviour,” said Trut.
“By organising these types of actions and through cooperation, the firefighters, civil protection, and EMS in Karlovac show exceptional technical skills and knowledge, and Karlovac can be an example of good practice to others in this aspect,” said the mayor of Karlovac, Damir Mandić, adding that natural heritage had to be not only preserved but also upscaled.
The action is implemented in partnership with and participation of the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, the Civil Protection Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, the Town of Karlovac, the Red Cross, the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, the Karlovac Professional Fire Department, the Karlovac County Institute for Emergency Medicine, and the Zrinski Diving Club.
The Civil Protection Directorate, the Civil Protection State Intervention Unit and the Karlovac EMS, the Karlovac Public Fire Department, MoI SWAT unit, and Karlovac rangers, organised a rescue drill saving a drowning man from the Korana River. The beginning of the drill was marked by Miroslav Rade, the captain of the Public Fire Department of the Town of Karlovac. The divers also took part in the clean-up action of the Korana, contributing to the promotion of awareness of the importance of preserving the natural resources of the Croatian rivers. In the afternoon, the drive continued with the “4 Parks” Junior Ranger Race, in which all participating children were awarded gold medals, so that they could realise the importance of cooperation and participation in nature protection and of human impact on the environment.
During the drive, Željko Šančić, the manager of the Karlovac Student Centre and president of the Diving Club Zrinski, presented PV collectors for generating electricity as the Club’s innovation that was successfully used during the drive, while the internationally known Croatian explorer Mladen Kuka, the president of the Centre for Expeditions, Research and Culture “The Brothers Seljan” and the Climbing and Mountaineering Association “Karlovac”, presented the Museum of the Brothers Seljan.
The programme “Ranger Croatia” will be implemented in all Croatian counties. The starting point is Karlovac County, and then the drive will travel down the Kupa to Sisak-Moslavina County. After having visited every county, the expert commission will choose the “greenest” town and county. The main goals of the programme include the setting up of the “smart ranger network” for protecting Croatia’s nature and environment, improving the flood protection systems, and cooperation of all state and regional institutions with the aim of nature protection and prevention of fly-tipping.
During the event and drives, apart from the clean-up actions of the Korana, Kupa, Mrežnica and Dobra and the area along the rivers, educational workshops will be held as well as diving, swimming, kayaking, rafting events and rowing school, the 4-river marathon, junior ranger race, art colony, trekking on the hiking and recreation trail “SELJANOVA ŠETNICA”.
The humanitarian character of the event will be concluded by the charity gala and the auction of paintings, and the collected funds will be transferred to the children’s hospital in Sisak and Dumovec shelter for abandoned animals of the City of Zagreb.
