River protection movements in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia: rethinking locality and collective identity

The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans spurred small hydropower projects, met with resistance from peripheral rural communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. Supported by environmental organisations and experts, local struggles scaled to the national level, challenging non-governmental organisation (NGO)-dominated environmentalism and rural marginalisation and stigmatisation. This research analyses cultural repertoires of river protection mobilisations, arguing that emotions and locality motivated collective action, while challenging exclusivism and nationalism. It employs frame analysis of movements’ public materials and semi-structured interviews with activists. This research aligns with post-socialist Eastern European environmentalism that situates local forms of environmental activism within global relations and debates.