The Čuvaj.me Platform Delivers Results: Citizens Report, Institutions Respond

The Čuvaj.me Platform, funded by the European Union as part of the National Environmental Campaign “Čuvaj da te čuva”, has, since June, been recording a steadily increasing number of reports concerning environmental issues in local communities across Montenegro. Experiences to date clearly show that cooperation between citizens and competent institutions yields concrete, visible results on the ground.

The most frequently reported problems relate to illegal landfills, pollution of watercourses, improper waste disposal, and unlawful activities in protected areas. The Platform’s team, led by the “Let’s Green Montenegro” initiative, forwards the reports to the relevant services – from municipal utilities and inspections to veterinary and environmental authorities – and follows the implementation of measures in the field on a daily basis.

Thanks to citizens’ reports and institutional action, a significant number of cases across Montenegro have been closed in the previous period, while some cases remain temporarily closed with ongoing monitoring at locations where there is a risk of the issue reoccurring. Oversight of implemented measures will be further strengthened in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency, which will conduct field visits to problematic locations.

In cooperation with the competent institutions, the Platform will prioritise reports in which individual responsibility can be established, enabling swift action and an effective penalty policy to prevent repeated harm to nature.

Additionally, the Platform’s administrators will henceforth send reminders every fortnight to authorities that have not acted upon reports. They will publish monthly reports on the efficiency of institutions in handling submitted cases.

The reports received clearly show that the mechanism works: citizens report, institutions act, and public space and natural assets are protected. At the same time, the number of reports indicates that nature continues to be endangered every day, thereby directly undermining every citizen’s right to a healthy environment.

Each report means cleaner rivers, parks, streets, and neighbourhoods. Through the joint efforts of citizens and institutions, irresponsible practices can be prevented, nature protected, and the quality of life in Montenegro improved.

Reports can be submitted via the link: www.cuvaj.me

When we report and respond — together we protect nature, so that she protects us. Čuvaj da te čuva.