This year’s wildfires in Montenegro have caused significant economic and environmental damage, and full assessment will be limited, warns Azra Vuković, Executive Director of NGO Green Home. She stresses that ecosystem restoration will take years and must be approached professionally, not through populist or rushed measures like inappropriate tree planting.
Vuković criticises the lack of proper damage assessments and warns that large burned areas—mostly outside protected zones—make full recovery unlikely. She urges targeted restoration in priority areas, guided by experts.
Preventative measures were neglected, she says, including maintenance of firebreaks, water access, and community education. Firefighters are under-equipped, and communities are left without water during emergencies. Climate change, she adds, is not taken seriously in Montenegro.
A key issue is the government’s slow and disorganised response, driven more by political and personal interests than public safety. Requests to repair aircraft were only approved amid active fires, showing poor prioritisation.
Despite this, Vuković highlights the crucial role of international aid in helping to contain the fires and calls for greater appreciation and preparedness moving forward.
