A report of the environmental organization Eco Albania raises concerns about the Vjosa River and its tributaries, Bënça, Drino and Shushica.
The report identifies and analyzes the main pressures that endanger Vjosa, highlighting the industrial and economic activity of companies located in the territory of the National Park.
The findings are a wake-up call for protecting the ecological integrity of the last free-flowing river in Europe.
"We are ready to cooperate with local institutions and stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of the measures proposed in the Park Management Plan and to guarantee that Vjosa remains protected for future generations."", says Olsi Nika from Eco Albania.
According to the report, the risks come from urban activity, excavations, irrigation and tourism, but it highlights three main categories as most concerning: water abstraction and extraction, river gravel extraction and the extractive and processing industry.
"Industrial activities include the extraction of oil, bitumen, limestone and other minerals. The most affected area is Selenica, with 13 active mines and over 150 oil wells that affect the quality of the surrounding water and soils."", the report underlines.
The study area includes several municipalities such as Fieri, Vlora, Mallakastra, Selenica, Himara, Memaliaj, Tepelena, Këlcyra, Përmeti, Gjirokastra, Libohova and Dropulli. Each has specific characteristics that affect the management of water resources and biodiversity.
Based on this analysis, environmental experts and EcoAlbania are calling for measures to be taken, suggesting management of water use, regulation of gravel extraction, and restriction of industrial activities.
Residents, forest activists, and environmental organizations have waged a long battle to protect Vjosa and declare it a National Park.
Two years ago, on March 13, 2023, the Vjosa River and its free-flowing tributaries Drino, Bënça, Shushica and Kardhiqi were declared a National Park, also constituting the first wild river park in Europe.
But for some time now, the park has been facing various dangers. In addition to the activities of companies, one of the branches of the Vjosa, Shušica is endangered by the construction of hydroelectric power plants and WATER of Himara, which risks drying up the river.
Read also:
- The battle to save Shushica from the Himara Aqueduct
- Himara Water Supply, institutions avoid meeting with Shushica residents
He completed master's studies in Investigative Journalism at the Department of Journalism at the University of Tirana. She has been working as a journalist for five years, where she previously covered issues of politics and parliamentary activity, in print and online media. She is currently a journalist at Citizens.al, where she covers various social issues related to the transparency of institutions. At Citizens.al, she leads the podcast "The Unheard" and is engaged as a manager of projects related to the support of investigative journalism.
