The Balkan nations have poor waste management programs, and tons of garbage routinely end up in rivers, including the occasional washing machine or computer screen. A broken barrier this week caused a massive buildup of garbage on the Drina that has threatened Bosnia’s Visegrad dam.
Officials say that between 6,000 and 8,000 cubic meters of waste are pulled out of the river each year. At the Visegrad dam, efforts began to clear away the clogging garbage and to avoid potential damage to the power system.