More than 10% of greenery disappeared in Belgrade in 20 years

Green infrastructure is key to living in the city, both health-wise and functionally, in terms of flood protection, cleaner air and cooling of the city during the summer months. However, practice in domestic planning does not treat it like that, but as empty spaces that need to be filled. The GUP from 2003 concluded that Belgrade has 19% of public greenery and forests, so the PGR of the system of green areas from 2019 "refreshed" us with the information that there are 12%, and the draft of the GUP 2041 (which has not yet been adopted ) states that the updated percentage is only 9% of public green areas. If it continues in the direction we have taken, we will be boarding in the coming years in a pressure cooker of our own making.

Green public areas are the right of all citizens and it is necessary that they be evenly distributed, that is, the furthest 300m as the crow flies from the place of residence. This is not the case now and there is a large unevenness in the presence of greenery among municipalities. Grocka, Vračar, Surčin and Stari grad do not have forests in their municipality, while the draft GUP 2041 states that 392 Belgraders live in areas lacking greenery for the purpose of recreation. The numbers are worrying because they are going further into the red at the speed of light, and we are living in a time of climate change and increasingly hot summer days and nights.

It is dangerous for human health when the night temperature is not below 20 degrees, because then the body is not able to rest, but constantly works to cool down, so we wake up exhausted in the morning. Higher mortality of the elderly during hot days was also observed, and there is a clear danger that all these parameters will increase in the coming years.

The heat islands in Belgrade have created a symbiosis into one big heat island which is the center of the city and New Belgrade, while there is still some shade around Zvezdara, Mirijevo and Rakovica, Čukarica, thanks to the forests we have in Košutnjak and Zvezdara. A clear indication of how important and necessary greenery is to us is when we leave Čukarica for the center in the summer, and feel on our skin and nervous system what an additional 5 degrees means in the city center. Therefore, it is unacceptable to treat greenery as an empty space for construction and to treat it as if it has an infinite amount and its functions do not exist. 

It is the city that must take care of this and set construction rules for investors. Investors cannot be expected to preserve greenery, if higher-order plans do not oblige them to do so. Belgrade has an excellent plan PGR system of green areas which plans in detail the network of green infrastructure and its connection for the sake of maximum utility for citizens and the city. This plan was adopted in 2019 and proposed an increase of the green fund from the then 12% to 23%, however, it was voted optional at the session of the City Assembly, so we ended up with 9% green, because investors are not obliged to comply with it .

If it is important to you that we preserve the park, playground, places for learning and socializing, forests and other green areas and you want this plan to become MANDATORY for investors, help us influence the Administration! Let's preserve and expand the green infrastructure in Belgrade, which will help us improve our health, have more pleasant summer temperatures, enjoy our free time and give the city back to the people who live in it. Sign the petition Better cities, healthier people, which is on the website of the Ministry of Space!