News - Vjosa

Protests for Shushica continue

Vjosa Wild River National Park is under threat as construction works on Shushica persists for the water supply of the tourist coast! Despite relentless opposition from locals, activists, and scientists, the construction goes on. The fate of over 30 villages hangs in the balance, but our community's resolve is unbreakable. Find out more about the Shushica case and the local resistance in the video by Joshua David Lim:

Protest on the Albanian Shushica River: Vjosa National Park in danger

12 mayors and numerous other residents of the Shushica Valley and other regions of the Vjosa National Park, activists, lawyers and scientists gathered this morning in the village of Kuç on the banks of the Shushica River. They are protesting the plans of the government in Tirana to take the water from the Shushica and channel it to the Mediterranean

Residents of the Shushica Valley continue their protest against the diversion of the river

On December 16 2023 local residents from the villages of the Shushica Valley, part of the Vjosa River National Park, along with activists, held another protest in Kuç, against the project to divert water from the Lëpusha source for the construction of the Himara water supply system. After more than 5 months of efforts, residents from the Vlora River area remain

The entire Aoos River in Greece and its tributaries are now protected!

 01.12.2023

Way forward for the 1st Transboundary Wild River National Park in Europe. An important step was taken on November 28th by the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy with the designation of part of the catchment area of the transboundary river Aoos in Greece as a Protected Natural Formation and

Radio show with Ulrich Eichelmann on the International Day of Rivers (only in German)

 11.10.2023

On the occasion of the International Day of Rivers, Riverwatch CEO Ulrich Eichelmann was interviewed by the Austrian radio station Ö1. The ecologist and conservationist shares his thoughts on the threatened river lifeline. He tells us about the state of rivers in Austria and in Europe and reports on

Study: Reforestation proposal for the Vjosa catchment

 04.10.2023

This study defines clear steps and locations to start an afforestation project in the Vjosa catchment. The authors propose ten pilot areas to start the afforestation. As there is no autochthonous planting material available on the market, it has to be grown from diaspores / mother plants from the region in a forest garden to be

Innsbruck Nature Film Festival 19-22 October 2023

 29.09.2023

Meet us in Innsbruck at the Nature Film Festival! From 19 to 22 October 2023, our team from EuroNatur and the campaign: ‘Save the Blue Heart of Europe’ will be at the Nature Film Festival (INFF) in Innsbruck/Austria! On 21 October you can look forward to the film: ‘Saving the Vjosa - The Story behind’, followed by a panel discussion! In addition, we will be on site during the entire festival period with a free

 

Growing opposition to Albanian airport

 19.09.2023

Bern Convention calls on Albania to stop airport construction near Narta Lagoon. Project in Vjosa Delta endangers thousands of migratory birds. Conservation organisations filed lawsuits against destructive and illegal construction.

Major success: River Vjosa becomes National Park

At a formal ceremony in Tepelena this morning, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama and his Minister of the Environment and Tourism Mirela Kumbaro declared the River Vjosa a Wild River National Park. As from today, the entire River Vjosa in Albania from its border with Greece to the Adriatic sea and its free flowing tributaries – a river system totalling more than 400 kilometres in length – have the very high level of protection.

Vjosa Wild River National Park: vision, roadmap, and feasibility study

 24.01.2023

The feasibility study is the result of six months of extensive fieldwork and in-depth analysis by a team of over 30 experts in areas such as eco-tourism, geomorphology, ecology, planning and management of protected areas, sustainable financing of national parks, legislation, and social and environmental impact assessment.

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