Page 27 - EarthHeroes

found only here. The proposed dams would change all of that. Over 100 would be located in national parks, and all would have devastating effects on wildlife and people. Rok believed that the dams were unnecessary; the countries in which they would be built already produced enough energy for their own needs, so most of the electricity produced would be exported outside the Balkans. Rok felt that they were simply a way for greedy people to make money through huge and expensive construction projects.
While attending a rivers conference, Rok became frustrated with complaints from others there that they didn’t have enough money or power to stop dams.
He was sure they could join forces to do something fun, simple and cheap that would allow people to join in. Then suddenly he had the answer. Without stopping to think, he stood up and announced that he and his friends would
paddle the affected rivers the following spring, to tell the world what was happening. They would call it the Balkan Rivers Tour.
From making his big announcement, Rok had five months to plan the expedition. He found five people to join his team, mapped out their journey
and raised money for petrol for the vans that would take them from river to river. He gave talks and publicised the event to other kayakers,
environmental activists and the media. Preparing for the trip was harder than training for the Olympics, when all he’d had to do was eat, row
and sleep!
In April 2016, the kayakers began their tour. Rok and his friends would spend six weeks paddling on 23 threatened rivers in
six countries – Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania. For a total of 39 days, they
kayaked those rivers and visited villages along their way. Rok spoke to families whose homes and communities would be lost to the dams. Many had been protesting for years, but people were not listening. They warmly welcomed the kayakers and the TV, radio and newspaper reporters who were following their journey. Finally their stories were being heard.
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