The river landscape along the Danube, Drava and Mur is often described as Europe's answer to the Amazon. But this unique biosphere is now under threat, with the Croatian government planning a series of infrastructure projects. Some 180 hydroelectric projects are in the pipeline. This will involve diverting the rivers'meandering path, dredging the rivers and building power stations along their banks. In the process, a 100-kilometer stretch of riverbank will be destroyed, and with it the natural habitat of the white-tailed eagle, black stork and a number of threatened species. Conservationists say Croatia is contravening the environmental terms of its EU accession bid.
