Extreme Drought & Water Stress: Serbia’s Danube side channels have shrunk to ponds, leaving juvenile fish at risk of mass death as heat pushes water temperatures above 30°C; the same drought-and-heat pattern is hitting fish farms and river ecosystems across the region, including Slovenia, Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary, with damages running into the millions. Energy & Climate Pressure in Slovenia: Slovenia’s July power mix shows the strain: net generation fell year-on-year as hydropower dropped sharply, while solar and wind rose—yet imports helped cover the gap, underlining how drought can quickly reshape the country’s electricity balance. Circular Economy Skills Gap: Europe’s push toward a circular economy is constrained not just by recycling capacity but by the people who design, specify and maintain products; recycled materials still make up a small share of EU inputs, and training is framed as a missing lever. Zero Waste Network Expansion: Ljubljana is highlighted alongside new city sign-ups to the International Zero Waste Cities Network, which is growing across countries and aims to scale reuse and recycling systems through shared policy and practice. Tourism vs Nature (Adriatic): Cape Kamenjak in Croatia is still seeing heavy protected-area pressure despite fewer vehicles, with traffic limits starting to protect fragile landscapes; meanwhile, a diver-led effort plans plastic-debris extraction from Krapanj Island’s seabed as a high-visibility push for cleaner marine zones.