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Vjosa National Park, AP: The government withdrew from the HPPs, but not from Vlora airport. It causes irreparable damage

Politiko 2023-03-16 09:18:02

Vjosa National Park, AP: The government withdrew from the HPPs, but not from

The Albanian government officially declared the Vjosa river and its tributaries a National Park, starting with an investment of about 80 million dollars to stop the discharge of sewage into the river.

Authorities held a ceremony in a move aimed at preserving what they called one of Europe's last wild rivers, which runs for 270 kilometers from the forested slopes of Greece's Pindis mountains to the Albanian coast. Adriatic, writes the Associated Press .

"Today we protect forever the last wild river of Europe" , said Prime Minister Rama. Albanian officials say the free-flowing Vjosa is largely untouched by development and human obstructions to its flow.

The project will aim to address water and land pollution, waste management and deforestation. In addition, officials say, the National Park will create economic opportunities for local communities through responsible tourism and help address depopulation.

The Government of Albania has canceled plans for eight hydropower plants in Vjosa and its tributaries. Environmentalists say the dams would have caused serious damage to the river.

The authorities must now decide what to do with a half-built hydropower plant in Kalivac in Vjosa, AP writes, while Prime Minister Rama addressed environmentalists yesterday saying not to distort the truth as there is zero damage to the environment.

Environmentalists have also warned that a new multimillion-euro international airport being built where the Vjosa River flows into the Adriatic near the city of Vlora would cause irreparable damage to the fragile ecosystems of the protected lagoons that are home to flamingos, pelicans and millions of other migratory birds. . .

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