Author: Dallandyshe XHAFERRI
"Living rivers have almost completely disappeared in Europe, so the creation of the Vjosa Wild River National Park according to the highest international standards will be a historic achievement. It will be one of the biggest conservation-related achievements in Europe in decades. This journey looks like a gift from Albania to the Planet. It took more than a decade to get to this point”, this is how the Vjosa River National Park is described, in the feasibility study. The Vjosa River is the largest river in southern Albania and the second after the Drin, with a length of 272 km. The natural ecosystem was declared "National Park", 2nd category, after 12 years of legal battle, between environmental associations and decisions to build hydropower plants.
"What do you do? Come and I will lead you to where Vjosa is polluted", - that's how the conversation started with Asia, a resident of Memaliaj, formerly a geologist.
“Hey, you see this pipe here? This is where the black waters of Memaliaj flow, while that man there, 5 meters away, is fishing,"- says Asia, showing that despite its status, the ecosystem of the last wild river in Europe still faces pollution. "No filter is used. What is done in the city, is done here", - she concludes for "Signalizo".
Meanwhile, 50 km further, in Përmet, Kejda Prendi, who graduated in the Master of Science in Urban Environmental Management, announces for "Sinjalizo", the results of the water sample taken from the crossing of Vjosa in Përmet.
"In Përmet we have a high state of solids with 33.33 mg/l. Chlorides and sulfates also exceeded the standard. Nitrites and nitrates as well as bicarbonates are also above standard", - says Prendi, underlining that the opposite happens with oxygen, which "is in a poor state and poses a danger to living things", - she concludes.
I fought with HEC for several years
Besjana Guri, part of the Public Relations office at 'EcoAlbania', tells "Sinjalizo" that for her the battle for the protection of the Vjosa river started publicly in 2014, "while preliminary studies regarding its natural state and threats began in 2012",- the stone shows.
"During our several years of experience with the Vjosa case, we have had the opportunity to talk with the decision makers, but not at the level we would have liked, since for years, from 2016 to 2021, we have encountered the Government's indifference to our requests ",- recalls Guri, while emphasizing that after constant insistence "thankfully, in 2022, a cooperation agreement was signed, which was finalized with the declaration of the Vjosa river and its free-flowing tributaries as a National Park", - she says.
Meanwhile, lawyer Vladimir Meçi says that the legal battle for the preservation and protection of Vjosa started in the period 2016-2017. "when a lawsuit was filed in the court of the First Administrative Level in Tirana for the declaration of invalidity of the concession contract". At that time, 38 residents of the Kutë village of Mallakastra, represented by Meçi, opposed the construction of the Poçemi hydropower plant in court. "This was very happy news because it was the first time citizens won against an arbitrary state action", says Meçi. Whereas, in 2016, the tender for the construction of Pocem HPP was won without competition by the Turkish company "KOVLU ENERGY", which had earlier won a bonus from the Government of 8% of the points as a proposing company.
"The second legal battle is related to the Kalivaçi hydropower plant, after the Government reopened the procedures for the reconstruction of the hydropower plant that was opposed before",- says Meçi, adding that the developer of the hydropower plant 'AYEN-ALB' sh.a "he had not done a study of his own, but it was based on studies done by experts in different fields", - quotes the lawyer for "Sinjalizo".
Vjosa won the battle with HPPs, but not the war with pollution
"With the announcement of Vjosa National Park, I can say that an important stage has been closed and a new stage of our work for Vjosa has opened. We are now focused on the proper functioning of the park and how it will be managed in the future", - says Besjana Guri, admitting that the support from international partners made it possible to report on Vjosa in the international media.
"One of the most important in terms of public awareness is the support from Leonardo Di Caprio, who since 2019, has continuously supported us",- concludes Guri. Meanwhile, for lawyer Meçi, environmental battles remain the most difficult.
"They are difficult because it is a public stage that belongs not only to contemporaries but also to future generations", - he concludes, underlining the long time, more than a decade, for the legal battle for Vjosa to end. But Vjosa has not yet won the battle with pollution.
Kejda Prendi tells "Sinjalizo" that from the analysis of the samples she has collected from the flow of the Vjosa in Këlcyre, Memaliaj, it appears that the Vjosa river is polluted. "Solids are increasing, chlorides, sulfates, but even more problematic is oxygen, which is decreasing compared to the first station (Përmetin). Alkalinity and bicarbonates also show high values above the standard from 50 mg/l to 225 CaCo3 and 274.5 mg/l HCo3"- concludes Prendi.
Valbona Park, again unsaved
However, the Valbona National Park is also facing pollution and hydropower plants. 4 years ago, in 2019, the Center for Human Rights in the report entitled "Communities under pressure" wrote that "The situation in Valbona was representative of the 'hydrocentralization' of Albania and the Western Balkans",- was described in the report, when it was emphasized that a specific number of hydropower plants was not known, "the official figures of the Government counted from 440 to 540 contracts for the construction of hydropower plants, of which from 96 to 147 were built and active". While in the report drawn up 1 year ago, in August 2022, by Ulrich Schëarz and Fluvius Vienna entitled "Hydropower Projects on Balkan Rivers", quoted:"Albania remains one of the most developed countries in terms of hydropower plants, even though in recent years it shows a slow development. Unfortunately, many projects have been developed river by river, mainly in the northern basin of Drin and Mat".
Teodor Gjerga, a loyal tourist of Valbona National Park, tells "Sinjalizo" that "In addition to HPPs, Valbona does not lack buildings added year after year. I was little when I first came here, in the early 2000s. Valbona has changed a lot. I can't say that it has lost its beauty, but in recent years, buildings have increased a lot", - says Teodori, adding that the increase in the number of tourists has affected the pollution of the environment. "At 'Syri i Kaltër' you see plastic outside the bins and this is the boomerang of the arrival of many tourists",- Teodori concludes his story for "Signalizo".
This article was created based on input provided by individuals who have chosen to speak up. Share your story, empower others and be an agent for change. Visit the website: www.acqj.al/sinjalizo-dhe-ti/
