How rich is Kosovo in resources?

According to some previous research, in the basins of Kosovo, lignite reserves are over 15 billion tons, or as UNMIK once declared, these reserves are a total of 7 billion tons. Based on this, we can calculate that these reserves will be used during the next 8.3 or 150 years. If we calculate this with the minimum price per ton, Kosovo's lignite is worth 200 billion dollars. The natural resources and wealth of Kosovo are often the subject of study not only in the Balkans, Europe, but also in the world. According to Serbian writings and debates, which say that the only reason for NATO's intervention in Kosovo was precisely Kosovo's resources and assets, and not humanitarian issues, it is concluded that the Serbs are revealing their centuries-old lie that they loved and still love Kosovo. not because of "roots" "myths" or religious reasons, but they actually love it (Kosovo) simply for colonial reasons.

However, the World Bank had estimated that Kosovo's mineral reserves alone are worth 13.5 billion euros. Lead and zinc reserves are said to be less than 7, nickel and cobalt up to 13.3 million tons, bauxite ore 1.7 million tons, while magnesium reserves are said to reach up to 5.4 million tons, although according to some other estimates these reach up to 8 million tons. In addition, silver and iron ores are also exploited in Kosovo, as well as rare minerals such as indium, cadmium, germanium, thallium and gallium. Although not enough research has been done, gold, platinum and copper finds are also known. According to Serbian studies, it is always thought that 60% of natural resources and assets are found in the territory of Kosovo. In addition to coal, which according to records so far is over 20 billion tons (it is said that the entire region lies on coal), in Kosovo there are also very expensive strategic elements such as cadmium, cobalt, nickel, etc.

Whose are our rivers?

Someone may mock or ignore me with this question that I posed in this opinion, but the last word in this subtitle shows that the rivers are ours. By the word “ours”, we mean of this country, of this people, of the citizens of Kosovo, of each individual separately because when we do not protect them when we pollute them, when we degrade them (despite the fact that all this damage is mainly done by private profiteering companies), the anathema of the degradation of the rivers and the environment falls on the innocent citizens of Kosovo. So deep in the subconscious of the profiteers and ecological criminal groups there is the conviction that they are benefiting from the general good, from the good that is the property of the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo. The duty of our institutions is to preserve this vital and strategic resource for the citizens of this country and for future generations, taking into account the world predictions that in the next 100 years the main wars will be caused over water resources - drinking water.

The state must take care that no private company establishes a monopoly on our rivers, on the sources of drinking water, and it must take care that every person can use this water free of charge. It may be that one day when water becomes so necessary and so expensive, irresponsible companies and individuals will guard water sources with their private armies and not even let us quench our thirst with our own water let alone use it for other needs. And that time may come very soon. Water is a common good (common goods, biens communs), and thus belongs to humanity, while those who sell water, our common property, are the enemies of humanity, and it is good to prevent these capitalists from trading with water. our common

Whose electricity is ours?

Is it reasonable to grant the use of rivers with a concession, the privatization of electrical energy systems as well as the construction of hydro and thermal power plants, international institutions and multinational companies? Based on simple logic, this may be partially reasonable, but if we ask why these countries and companies do not build such excess capacities in their countries since these are so profitable? When was the last power plant built in Western Europe? These countries have been greeted with these things because they are fed up with environmental pollution, they had almost destroyed their entire ecosystem, they had caused a climate not favorable for life, and they don't even think of making the same mistake a second time. .

The large multinational companies are interested in taking our resources through concessions through various groups, so the money from the sale of energy will not stop in our country nor fill the budget of our institutions, but will end up in the pockets of individuals and the bank accounts. around the world, except Kosovo. We are slowly moving towards the system which understands the right to private property as the right to life, it is understood that power holders everywhere in the world (wild rule of capitalist politics) for everything living and non-living on this earth have designated the owner .

The very idea of ​​property over nature is absurd. The way we will approach ownership of resources and the right solution to this issue will determine the future not only of our country but of the entire planet earth, plants and animals, ourselves and the generations to come. Serious countries pay great attention to energy, for this reason they do not line up day or night doing studies on possible energy alternatives, either because of the cost, or because of not having or preserving their resources or simply because of environmental protection. From several researches in Kosovo, as alternative energy sources are:
- Solar energy management;
- Waste management and
- Wind management.

Food

Kosovo used to be a rich country and a country that could provide its inhabitants with abundant and healthy food. Now every day more and more agricultural land is being replaced with concrete blocks until one day we will miss seeing some land without concrete. Agriculture, and animal husbandry, with all their branches are now only a charming synonym of the past. Let's not talk about mountain bioproducts, whether they are nutritious or healing.

According to local and international analyzes (AZER), Kosovo is a large importer of agricultural products (about 25% of the total value of local imports). Agriculture in Kosovo is characterized by small farms, low productivity and a weak advisory service. This field in Kosovo includes about 1800 cooperatives and companies dealing with agriculture and almost 143 thousand households, where two thirds of them are farms with more than one hectare of land.

The degrading example of the Prizren Region

The Grape Vine - Prizren before the war had 1500 ha planted with grape vines in the social sector, while the private sector had almost three times more area and with different types. This region was best known in the Balkans for quality grapes and wine. Wine worth over 100 million euros was exported from this region per year. In the last decade, it is regrettable what has happened to the vineyards and wineries of the Prizren region when considering the favorable agro-climatic and soil conditions for the cultivation of grape vines. Unfortunately, Prizren, Suhareka and Rahovec as grape and wine growers are being squeezed under the iron grip of privatization, which will have devastating consequences for this branch of agriculture.

World trends - Does the world have a common strategy in the fight against the specter of hunger that is only spreading? The grand announcement of the FAO summit in the Italian capital in 2008 began with worrying calls for solidarity of the rich towards the hungry, for huge promises of billions of euros in aid to the affected, but also with harsh criticism of current development. World food production must increase by 50% by 2030 in order to meet the increased needs of demand, declared the Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, at the Rome summit, the summit which was dedicated to the problem of the sharp jump in food prices. FAO President Jacques Diouf has warned that: in the increasingly comprehensive fight against hunger, the rich part of the world must move from words to deeds, otherwise hunger will not be eradicated even by 2150. Meanwhile, from fertile fields around the world comes information about a record harvest.

The hunger that is taking over the world today cannot be easily eradicated because the solution to the current crisis does not suit multinational companies and a certain number of employers", the South African non-governmental organization called: "Action for Help". In his speech to the participants of the FAO Summit, Pope Benedict XVI warned that the world must not lack solidarity.

Man of the century 21 wants to preserve the general goods such as: food, water and energy, which, unfortunately for us, have been attacked in the most barbaric and unscrupulous way by multinational companies and corporations.

Who owns and who should manage natural resources and national assets

All national resources and assets such as rivers, lakes, forests, ores and mines are vital elements for the human community of a country and of course are its property. The survival of the communities that populate a territory is entirely dependent on the climatic conditions and resources of that country, for this reason they are also called national wealth. Considering this logic, we can conclude that good is only what benefits the community and the living environment, while on the contrary, everything that harms the community and the living environment is bad and harmful. According to this principle, the fair and responsible way to manage and preserve resources would be for all citizens of that country to have the same access to resources, so that everyone can take care of their preservation and the environment together. vital.

In nature, the laws of interdependence reign, so the disappearance of a link in the ecosystem and in the food chain means a violation of the natural balance that causes the rapid disappearance of other species. By summing up all that we said above, we come to the conclusion that the best way to protect and manage natural resources and national assets is the democratic way, the way through which we understand that all of us, together, participate in decisions on which our survival, our future depends. The democratic way of managing natural resources, national wealth and strategic resources would be public debates at all levels from sensitization of children in schools, youth forums, middle and old generation, academic levels and if necessary why not through the declaration of the citizens with a referendum on the way of using the resources. This would be the only and most democratic way of preserving natural resources and national wealth.

Who will benefit from the sale of resources?

From the privatization process in Kosovo until now, we have noticed that instead of development and prosperity, the privatized companies have only brought enormous unemployment, violated workers' rights, bankruptcies, double privatizations, which can also fill the coffers that do not we know whose but we have never and very rarely seen a company that is successful after privatization in Kosovo. Examples from countries that have gone through the privatization process tell us about a bitter experience, e.g. electricity prices after privatization in those countries had increased drastically, while the quality of services had decreased to a minimum. However, it is true that in cases of privatization, the inhabitants of the areas where the thermal power plant or hydropower plant will be built will be hit the most, because this will completely change the climate, there will be pollution, destruction and disappearance of flora and fauna, and instead of success and prosperity we will cause an unforgivable ecocide of a special kind.

(The author is a senior official for Emergency Planning in the Emergency Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kosovo)

Opinions