Environmentalists raise alarm bells for the integrity of the Vjosa National Park

The environmental organization EcoAlbania has published a report that highlights the threat to the integrity of the Vjosa River from the industrial and economic activities of companies that lie within the territory of the National Park and its branches.

“The findings of this report are a wake-up call for the protection of the ecological integrity of the Vjosa Wild River National Park,” said Eco Albania Executive Director Olsi Nika.

"To curb the destruction of the delicate ecosystem of Vjosa, we are ready to cooperate with state institutions and local 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," he continued.

Vjosa was declared a National Park by the "Rama" government two years ago on March 13, 2023, but to date the impact of the pressures has not been seriously addressed by the authorities.

The report published by EcoAlbania shows that two years after this government decision, the number of economic activities within this area continues to remain high.

The main pressures that have been identified as threatening the flow of the Vjosa are such as water abstraction and extraction, gravel extraction or extraction from the river, and the extraction and processing industries of oil, bitumen, and several other minerals.

"Industrial activities cause chemical pollution, damage to natural habitats, and changes in water quality," the report quotes.

The report further cites that mining and quarrying pose a threat to the river's aquatic biodiversity.

"Discharges of dredged materials profoundly affect the ecological integrity of the river and its biota, as, among other things, they contain heavy metals," the report states.

Another threat to the integrity of the Vjosa is also water abstraction. One of the latest conflicts over water abstraction is precisely that between the government and the residents of the Vlora River, over the Shushica water diversion project for the Himara Water Supply System.

"The diversion of natural resources from their places of origin to rural areas towards a new tourist destination will inevitably lead to the loss of biodiversity, the compromise of ecological parameters and the violation of natural integrity as a whole," the report highlights as the main problem with water abstraction.

Environmental experts further write that the reduction in flows during the dry season directly affects aquatic and terrestrial habitats, compromising the survival of sensitive species.

Another pressure that damages coastal vegetation is the deposition of gravel and other inert materials near the stream.

"The open roads for gravel disposal have added to the damage. Additional impacts have also been caused by the lack of management of construction waste, which has created small hills on the surface, damaging coastal vegetation," the report's findings cite. Reporter.al