A regional conference, “Let’s Clean the Western Balkans,” was held in Durrës, Albania, bringing together 27 participants from across the Western Balkans to exchange experiences, connect organisations, and plan future joint activities in the field of environmental protection.
Over three days, participants took part in workshops, discussions, and joint working sessions focused on community mobilisation, volunteering, and the future of the World Cleanup Day initiative in the region. One of the topics was also the preparation for stronger and better-coordinated activities for World Cleanup Day 2027, as well as the development of other joint regional initiatives.
EkoGard founder Senad Pepić also took part in the conference, sharing with participants from across the region experiences from six years of our work and engagement in environmental protection.
We presented the development of our work, from the civic initiative Let’s Clean Rožaje, through the establishment of the NGO EkoGard, to our latest project, EkoMapa. Participants had the opportunity to learn about our experience with field activities, working with citizens and young people, protecting the Ibar River, our years of advocacy around the Mostina landfill, and other activities carried out in Rožaje over the past several years.
Our latest digital project, EkoMapa, attracted particular interest among the participants. EkoMapa is an advanced application that goes beyond mapping environmental problems by analysing collected data and municipal infrastructure, helping to better understand environmental problems and their possible links to infrastructure gaps.
During the conference, we also discussed the potential use of EkoMapa in other communities and opportunities for future cooperation with organisations across the region.
