We would like to inform you that five civil society organizations active in Serb-majority communities in northern Kosovo — the Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER), NGO Aktiv, the Center for Affirmative Social Actions (CASA), the New Social Initiative (NSI), and the Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture (ACDC) — have submitted a joint letter to the World Bank regarding the recent activities of the Ibar-Lepenac Public Water Utility in the area surrounding Gazivode Lake.
The letter expresses concern over a series of actions undertaken by Ibar-Lepenac since June 2026, each of which, according to the documented cases, was carried out in the presence of or with the assistance of the Kosovo Police. These actions include the takeover of the Rezala camp, the demolition of houses and holiday cottages, threats to demolish a family home, the delivery of notices ordering eviction and the removal of structures, as well as the demolition of 11 additional houses and holiday cottages on July 21, 2026.
The organizations expressed particular concern that measures resulting in the loss of access to property, housing, and local economic activities were implemented without prior written and reasoned decisions, enforceable administrative or judicial acts, clear information on available legal remedies, or an effective opportunity for affected individuals to seek review before irreversible harm occurred. The letter also highlights that the Municipality of Zubin Potok was not meaningfully consulted, despite the fact that all of the aforementioned actions concern property, housing, tourism, and local development within its territory.
The letter was addressed to the World Bank in light of the fact that Ibar-Lepenac served as the implementing agency for the Kosovo Water Security and Canal Protection Project (P133829), financed by the World Bank and officially closed on June 30, 2025. The organizations requested that, prior to providing any future financial, technical, or institutional support to Ibar-Lepenac, the World Bank conduct enhanced environmental, social, and institutional due diligence.
Specifically, the organizations called on the World Bank to confirm whether new support for Ibar-Lepenac is currently being prepared or considered, to suspend consideration of any future support until an additional risk assessment has been carried out, and to condition any future assistance on the implementation of corrective measures. These measures include halting further demolitions and displacements pending an independent legal review, conducting an urgent review of demolitions already carried out, ensuring that written, reasoned, and appealable decisions are issued before any irreversible actions are taken, and establishing credible mechanisms for community participation, grievance redress, and the equitable distribution of benefits for communities around Gazivode Lake.
An updated case brief, Property Takeovers, Demolitions and Threatened Evictions around Gazivode Lake, was submitted to the World Bank together with the letter. The document provides an overview of the disputed developments concerning the demolition, takeover, and planned removal of property around Gazivode Lake, carried out at the initiative of Ibar-Lepenac and the relevant Kosovo institutions. The case brief was prepared by InTER. Its first version was published on July 13, 2026, and it was updated on July 21, 2026, following the latest demolition of 11 houses and holiday cottages.
