{"id":39784,"date":"2026-08-06T13:55:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T11:55:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/?p=39784"},"modified":"2026-08-06T13:55:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T11:55:29","slug":"we-dont-want-to-stand-by-and-watch-the-coastline-disappear-give-the-environment-a-voice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/news\/we-dont-want-to-stand-by-and-watch-the-coastline-disappear-give-the-environment-a-voice\/","title":{"rendered":"We don’t want to stand by and watch the coastline disappear: Give the environment a voice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Further and further away<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

In a small village I have been returning to for years, I always look for a place where I can be alone and where the sea is still clean.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, it was a small beach below the house.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were low concrete walls, steps leading into the sea, and concrete rock platforms. Right next to the locals’ moored boats. Tamarisk trees provided natural shade in the background. There was a large rock in the sea from which children would jump. At the end of the concrete section were natural rocky outcrops, and then, just a few more steps along a narrow path, a wild, untouched beach beneath the first pine tree.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back then, the sea was still crystal clear, full of seagrass, something that some people find so unsettling that they want to remove it. Yet seagrass meadows are a refuge for fish and for all the imaginary sea monsters born from human imagination and the subconscious. For those who understand the sea, they are a sign that it is still healthy.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Over time, however, this picture began to change.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rocky shore was filled in<\/strong>. A human intervention, thoughtless, reckless, senseless. Further and further<\/strong>. Only a short stretch remained before reaching that natural beach beneath the first pine tree.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One Saturday, someone decided to take a jackhammer to the concrete wall and then started breaking up the concrete beach itself. The idea was to make it look like a “proper” beach. The vision was a pebble beach covered with towels, umbrellas, and tourists from the nearby apartments. A postcard version of Zlatni Rat. The entrance into the sea had to be easy, like stepping into a swimming pool. There should be no seagrass or rocks. Tourists should be comfortable<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tamarisk trees withered, their roots destroyed by the jackhammer. The police arrived too late. No one was held accountable for the environmental damage. Part of the beach was transformed into a pebble beach, but not with natural pebbles. Instead, it was covered with crushed white stone that leaves dust on your towel. Every year, the sea and the waves carry it away, further and further, smothering themselves in the process, along with what little seagrass and marine life still thrive in its underwater meadows. If only the sea and the waves knew…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The places to swim beneath the second and third pine trees are often occupied. Tourists are searching for the same thing I am: clean water, peace, and a place away from the crowds. That is exactly why they come here. Yet few hosts seem to understand.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I keep walking towards the lighthouse, further and further away from the village and from people.<\/strong> Following a narrow path interrupted by sharp rocks, searching for that one flat stone where I can lay down my towel and stretch out. Where I can feel the energy of the sea.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further and further away, and with every year there is more and more crushed stone in the water. The sea is burying itself, burying its seagrass meadows and our future. Apparently, it is the sea’s fault, not ours<\/strong>. And the years go by. Further and further away.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why are we sharing this story?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, stories like this are not exceptions. They show how decisions made without sufficient responsibility, oversight, or public participation can permanently alter the places where we live. Once a natural beach, a seagrass meadow, or old coastal trees disappear, they cannot simply be brought back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon, after thirteen years, Croatia has an opportunity to amend its Environmental protection act<\/strong>. This is not merely a revision of one piece of legislation. It is a chance to strengthen the rules that determine how we protect the environment, how environmental law is implemented in practice, and how citizens are involved in decisions that affect their quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Representatives of Sunce, on behalf of the Green Forum<\/a>, participated in the Working Group responsible for drafting the new Environmental Protection Act. Drawing on years of field experience, we advocated for stronger environmental protection, more effective enforcement of environmental legislation, and greater opportunities for citizens to participate in decisions that affect their environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, many of our proposals were not accepted. That is why, now more than ever, we are counting on public support<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Give the environment a voice<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

At the end of August, the public consultation (e-Consultation) on the new Environmental protection act will open.<\/strong> Every citizen will have the opportunity to participate in shaping the new law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We invite you to take part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The right of citizens <\/a>to participate in decisions affecting the environment is one of the fundamental principles of modern environmental protection<\/strong>. It exists not merely on paper, it exists to be exercised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Have you noticed an environmental problem? Report it.<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

You can write your own comments during the consultation, but you can also support the comments submitted by Sunce. We encourage you to like them and, even better, to adapt and submit them as your own. By doing so, you become an active participant in shaping legislation that will influence environmental protection for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participation in environmental protection does not end with the public consultation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A natural beach<\/a> does not have to look “perfectly landscaped” to be valuable. That is why it is important to stay informed about developments along the coast and pay attention to changes you notice in your surroundings. If you observe inappropriate coastal infilling, shoreline destruction, or other environmentally harmful activities, you can report them anonymously through Sunce’s Green Phone:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phone:<\/strong> 072 123 456<\/strong>
E-mail:<\/strong> info@sunce-st.org<\/a>
Through Sunce’s social media channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every report can be the first step towards preventing further environmental damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A beach is more than just a place to swim. It is part of a living, sensitive coastal ecosystem that protects the shoreline, provides habitat for countless species, and is constantly shaped by natural processes. Preserving it is therefore not a matter of appearance, it is a matter of responsibility towards the environment we leave to future generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we want to ensure that one day we do not have to go further and further away<\/strong> to find clean sea and a piece of natural coastline, now is the time to make our voices heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We continue to seek the preservation of our coastline. Let\u2019s help protect the sea, nature, and every citizen\u2019s right to a healthy environment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":39759,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1411,5],"tags":[1468,1467],"class_list":["post-39784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-together-our-voices-and-actions-for-the-environment","category-news","tag-daj-glas","tag-impact4values"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39784"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39785,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39784\/revisions\/39785"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}