WHEN NATURE IS YOUR RELIGION: Adnan Đelmo from Jablanica Founded the “Evolution” Association
After spending around ten years independently cleaning up everything that threatened the natural environment in the Municipality of Jablanica, environmental activist Adnan Đelmo registered the citizens’ association 
“Evolucija” (Evolution), which attracted around 20 members in just 20 days. He says his goal is to expand the initiatives he has carried out on his own so far, as well as to teach children how to protect nature.
“The first activity I organised as an association involved bringing children together for a clean-up campaign, which was attended by around 20 children aged ten and under. We had a great time — we cleaned up the natural environment and then sorted the waste. We also held a competition in which the children raced to sort the rubbish they had collected. I believe the most important thing is to teach children to protect the environment, because if we lose them in that respect, if they do not learn these lessons, then everything else is pointless. After we finished the clean-up for the day, we spent some time socialising. Now lots of people are getting in touch — they want to join the association because they have heard that we had a great time and ate pizza,” Đelmo says with a laugh.
There are numerous stories about Đelmo that have taken on an almost legendary status: that he has single-handedly cleaned up numerous locations, rescued an injured roe deer, worked in Jablanica in the aftermath of the 2024 floods, and cleared rubbish from the entrances to Jablanica, Mostar, Konjic and Prozor all in a single day.
“My only religion is nature. It is my therapy. I believe in the environment, and I love going out and cleaning up a site. I have cleaned rivers, main roads, the road towards Mostar and Salakovac, and illegal dumps that can be found at almost every roadside lay-by. So far, I have identified around 20 of them in the Municipality of Jablanica. If I were to explore further inland, along the banks of the Neretva River and around Jablanica Lake, I would certainly find many more,” Đelmo says.
The first advocacy initiative of the “Evolucija” Association will be to submit a request to the Municipality of Jablanica to remove around 20 illegal dumps located in visible and easily accessible areas throughout Jablanica, and to install video surveillance or deploy environmental enforcement officers at those sites.
“I have a meeting with the mayor on Friday, so we will see what happens. Jablanica has a green agenda and is committed to being a clean municipality. It is not right for the town to be obscured by rubbish, and at this rate, our entire country is becoming a landfill,” Đelmo says.
The 36-year-old Jablanica resident is a CNC machinist who works at a factory in Široki Brijeg. He also owns a gym in Jablanica, but above all, and most devotedly, he is a protector of nature.
“For around ten years now, I have not hesitated to devote my free time to protecting the natural environment. I clean up everything I see, and when necessary, I arrange for excavators and trucks to remove rubbish and transport it to a landfill. People know me — the owners of those trucks and excavators. Sometimes they help me out on their own, and other times I pay them, using my own money or donations from people who trust me and from local business owners. I have never asked the municipality for money or written project proposals. I have often gone headfirst into a wall, so to speak — I get real satisfaction from getting things done and achieving results, and I am glad when people see that change is possible. As an individual, I tried to find a way to get rid of the illegal dumps I will be discussing with the mayor, but nobody paid attention to my requests. Now, with the association, things are different, and I can start writing project proposals as well,” Đelmo explains.
For now, membership fees for the “Evolucija” Association are voluntary, with new members contributing whatever amount they are willing and able to give.
