Technological developments of the last century were not accompanied by the awareness of the importance of the natural swamp world. Enormous lunds were invested in the drainage of swamps and cultivation of drained land mostly lor agricultural purposes.
In the Mediterranean part of Bosnia and Herzegovina much of the land covered with mud or swamps has been brought into danger.
What has resulted from the persistent regulation and disorganized exploitation of the natural river !low is the impossibility of maintaining old swampy areas as well as creating the new ones. A great deal of the Neretva river ftow has been burdened with accumulation lakes having a considerable inlluence on very important natural mechanisms responsible lor the swamp maintenance and creation.
In recent times characterized by the never -ending race for all available energy resources we have been laced with the fact that it is extremely difficult to stop the economy Irom lurther exploiting the river Ilow.
Nevertheless one should not lorget the richness 0f the bird world that even today attracts the attention of all nature love rs. One of the ways of protecting such richness that could never be restored once it's been damaged is the lormation of nature and bird reserves in the Neretva valley.
A great number of various birds from laraway parts of continental Europe use the Neretva valley and the nearby nature reserve Hutovo blato as a place to rest during the period of exhausting migrations.
In the area surrounding the swampy Neretva delta and Hutovo blato ornithologists have registered over 300 bird species.
The geographical position of the Neretva valley, the size of the delta and the variety of vegetation are very suitable lor a great number of bird species.
Although the economic development over the last years has greatiy inlluenced the vanishing of the land surface that hasn't been touched by the human hand yet, the Neretva valley still belongs to those swampy areas that are the most richest in bird species.
