In the ancient tension between profit and place, Croatia now finds itself the unwilling inheritor of another continent's refuse. Near the town of Gospic, tens of thousands of tons of toxic waste — shipped from Italy, Germany, and Slovenia under falsified documents — have poisoned the soil and threatened the groundwater of a community that never consented to bear this burden. In September 2026, the streets of Zagreb filled with tens of thousands of citizens demanding accountability, a cleanup plan, and an end to the imports, forcing a government to reckon with how easily a nation's earth can be
Tens of thousands protest Croatia's toxic waste crisis, demand 20-day cleanup plan
Soil and groundwater contamination poses significant health risks to residents in Gospic and surrounding areas, though drinking water remains unaffected so far.