In the description that the NYT makes of Vjosa, it cites the project "To protect Vjosa" after the decision taken by the Albanian government to build a HPP along the river. The movement was also echoed in foreign media, and even Leo Di Caprio was among those who called on the government to stop the destruction of the river. The Vjosa River is the last wild river in Europe and there is no one like it in Europe.
This river, together with its branches, flow freely from the mountains of Greece to the Adriatic Sea without interruption and artificial barrier from the narrow gorges in the upper part to the wide part in the middle where the annual branches are braided until they flow into the Adriatic Sea.
Only in the middle stretch there are about 8 types of habitats that are of great conservation importance in the EU.
Vjosa is one of the least explored rivers in Europe, but recent studies highlight it as one of the hottest spots in terms of the importance of Albanian biodiversity.
This river houses 1100 species including 13 globally threatened animal species.
24 plants and 50 animal species are included in the national red lists of Albania.
The surrounding watershed provides the villages with fertile land for agricultural and livestock production activities.
Eco Tourism and adventure and adventure tourism are always growing, making the area of Vjosa a very favorite tourist destination for local and foreign tourists.
At the beginning of 2010, the two international environmental organizations Riverwatch and EURONATURA started the "Save the blue heart of Vjosa" campaign, launching a series of activities for the prevention of hydropower plants. EcoAlbania has been working for years to protect Vjosa, which receives special attention every year. the last one in the foreign media is Albanian. many public figures such as artists, activists, politicians have expressed their support for her protection.
In June 2022, the government and the Ministry of Tourism and Environment signed with Patagonia, as a representative of environmental organizations, a memorandum of cooperation to declare Vjosa a national park. This is the first final step for the final protection of Vjosa, which crowns the success of 10 years of hard work. to the scientists, activists and residents for declaring Vjosa a national park, which means the ban on the construction of hydropower plants not only in Vjosa but also in its branches.
Read the ful article of The New York Times
52 Places to Go in 2023
Travel's rebound has revealed the depth of our drive to explore the world. Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? This year's list has all those elements, and more.
Protecting the Vjosa, one of Europe's last undammed rivers, has not been easy. After a decade of proposed projects that threatened to alter the waterway's wild flow, its innumerable ecosystems and its valleys strewn with ancient communities, the Albanian government signed a commitment last June to create the Vjosa Wild River National Park.
Making good on that pledge, scheduled to become reality in 2023, will establish a global conservation model while preserving the country's canyon-lined, 120-mile stretch of the 169-mile waterway, which runs from the Pindus Mountains in Greece to the Adriatic Sea , as well as including around 60 miles of tributaries.
For travelers — on trails like Albania's new UNESCO Cycling Route (opening January 2023), which runs along the river and visits World Heritage sites like the city of Gjirokastra — safeguarding the Vjosa and its river system, with over 1,100 animal species, encourages responsible discovery of alpine settlements, where locals welcome adventurers for coffee, raki (local fruit brandy) and a chance to imbibe the often-overlooked Balkan culture.
— Alex Crevar
Gallery
