{"id":73778,"date":"2022-05-11T12:20:14","date_gmt":"2022-05-11T10:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/?p=73778"},"modified":"2023-03-16T16:35:41","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T15:35:41","slug":"europes-last-wild-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/europes-last-wild-river\/","title":{"rendered":"Europe&#8217;s Last Wild River"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"73778\" class=\"elementor elementor-73778\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-67721b0 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"67721b0\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div 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data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Europe's Last Wild River<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-67ec735\" data-id=\"67ec735\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e5da4b3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-wpml-language-switcher\" data-id=\"e5da4b3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"wpml-language-switcher.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpml-elementor-ls\">\n<div\n\t class=\"wpml-ls-statics-shortcode_actions wpml-ls wpml-ls-legacy-dropdown js-wpml-ls-legacy-dropdown\" id=\"lang_sel\">\n\t<ul>\n\n\t\t<li tabindex=\"0\" 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wpml-ls-item-sr wpml-ls-last-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/sr\/\" class=\"wpml-ls-link\" target=\"_blank\">\n                            <span class=\"wpml-ls-native icl_lang_sel_native\" lang=\"sr\">B\/C\/S<\/span><span class=\"wpml-ls-display icl_lang_sel_translated\"><span class=\"wpml-ls-bracket icl_lang_sel_bracket\"> (<\/span>B\/C\/S<span class=\"wpml-ls-bracket icl_lang_sel_bracket\">)<\/span><\/span><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\n\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6f7acfd elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"6f7acfd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eddd0ac elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"eddd0ac\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Text:<\/b>\u00a0Freya H\u00e4berlein and Dan Shutt<\/p><p><b>Video:<\/b>\u00a0Dan Shutt, Isaac Eastgate and Freya H\u00e4berlein<\/p><p><b>Photography:<\/b>\u00a0Isaac Eastgate<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-15b6c07 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"15b6c07\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4944081\" data-id=\"4944081\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3a5140c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3a5140c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Vjosa River flows uninterrupted for 272 kilometers from the mountains of northern Greece, through southern Albania and into the Adriatic Sea. Its shifting meanders are free to trickle or to rage in torrents depending on the season, undammed for the river&#8217;s entire course. Wild rivers are extremely rare, particularly in Europe, where the Vjosa is often referred to by scientists and environmental NGOs as the continent&#8217;s last.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On January 26, 2022, the Albanian government declared the creation of a &#8220;Nature Park&#8221; along the entire length of the Vjosa, largely in response to relentless campaigns and petitions from local and international activists, environmentalists, and scientists who have been working to halt the construction of hydropower dams along the river.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reading some of the local media coverage, you could be forgiven for thinking there was reason to celebrate. The Albanian government, it seemed, had turned its back on damming Europe&#8217;s last wild river. But a recent trip following the river downstream from the Greek border to the delta on the Adriatic revealed that the people living along the river have something else to say about the matter and that the threats to the river remain. The government&#8217;s nature protection scheme was not how it seemed.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cA nature park is not the same as a national park,\u201d Besjana Guri sighs. \u201cIt does not protect the Vjosa River and its tributaries from destruction.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guri, a spokesperson and founding member of the environmental NGO EcoAlbania, has been campaigning and lobbying to protect Europe&#8217;s last wild river for over a decade. She is part of a growing chorus of people and organizations calling for the government to declare the entirety of this unique riverine system a national park. She&#8217;s been joined in this struggle by farflung supporters including actor Leonardo di Caprio and the California clothing brand Patagonia. A national park, according to Guri, is the only thing that would protect the river from its main threat: the construction of hydroelectric power stations.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-291adab\" data-id=\"291adab\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-23be9bb elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"23be9bb\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-04e6d8f\" data-id=\"04e6d8f\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e601ff8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"e601ff8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Riverscapes-4K.00_07_31_07.Still024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-73742\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f641595 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f641595\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a317fd6\" data-id=\"a317fd6\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-66cb466 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"66cb466\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s an ambitious project, declaring the Vjosa and its tributaries a national park, one that would be a unique accomplishment in Europe. The creation of a so-called &#8220;Wild River National Park&#8221; would be particularly difficult because these riverine landscapes are dynamic, constantly shifting environments. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an international NGO that provides standardized guidelines for conservation, has only succeeded at getting a small handful of rivers this level of protection, among them Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Above all, there are not many such river systems left to protect.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The recently announced nature park protection status would not prevent the government from continuing its hydropower plans, particularly along the Vjosa&#8217;s tributaries, and, furthermore, could be easily reversed in the future. Activists from EcoAlbania see the announcement as a response from the government to environmentalists&#8217; increasingly successful public campaign to garner support for protecting the river. But rather than providing the called-for protection, the government&#8217;s announcement appears structured to make the public think the river is protected.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For years EcoAlbania has been gathering scientists from all over Europe to study the river system. The results show that the river&#8217;s value isn&#8217;t just in its natural beauty; it also hosts extraordinarily biodiverse ecosystems that can&#8217;t be found anywhere else on the continent. Although much of the valley still remains to be researched \u2014 the organization Scientists for Balkan Rivers described it in 2021 as &#8220;one of the least explored rivers in Europe&#8221; \u2014 recent studies suggest the Vjosa and its tributaries host at least 1,100 species, including 13 globally threatened animal species and two globally threatened plant species.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet much of the river system is <\/span><a id=\"underline-link\" style=\"color: white;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ecoalbania.org\/en\/2022\/01\/27\/vjosa-still-not-a-national-park-the-governments-decision-provides-insufficient-protection\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not covered<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by the new protection status; there are currently plans for 13 dams on the Vjosa&#8217;s tributaries, eight on the B\u00ebn\u00e7a and five on the Shushica.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1faa03b\" data-id=\"1faa03b\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e72583a elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e72583a\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-04a5f86\" data-id=\"04a5f86\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e4a2620 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"e4a2620\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Riverscapes-4K.00_28_42_13.Still039.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-73748\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-7b1de15 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7b1de15\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-cb66872\" data-id=\"cb66872\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-78c1dd9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"78c1dd9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7b95ff9\" data-id=\"7b95ff9\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8b0c0d0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8b0c0d0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Carving its Way through the Mountains<\/b><\/p><p>A stone\u2019s throw from the Albanian-Greek border is the village of Petran. Over millennia, the river here has carved a dramatic gorge between the high peaks of the Nemer\u00e7ka mountains and the Fir of Hotova National Park. This is the upper section of the Vjosa, picturesque, deep-flowing, and attractive for eco-tourism. Many here have already begun to invest in offering tours for rafting, hiking, horse-riding and climbing. There is also a growing demand for guest houses and restaurants to shelter and feed the increasing number of visitors who come specifically to see the wild river.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>Yet a recurring theme along the Vjosa valley is emigration \u2014 the youth have left and there are limited prospects or development. Those who oppose dam-building along the river argue that local communities would benefit from the value added from national park status, which would facilitate more development in the region and encourage international investment.\u00a0<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>Artan Thanas is one of the people investing in the future of the area. When we met him in the village of Petran, he was taking a break from renovating the guest rooms below Alvi, his bar and restaurant. Pointing to the grapes growing on the other side of the road, from which he makes the wine he serves, he told us that he uses local and seasonal ingredients at his restaurant.\u00a0<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>Thanas sat outside on his south-facing balcony, and though it was the middle of February, the sun warmed us. The Vjosa was running by below and the snowy peaks of the Nem\u00ebr\u00e7ka mountains loomed large above us across the riverbank.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-bf84a99 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"bf84a99\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-83ace1d\" data-id=\"83ace1d\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b285c91 elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"b285c91\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;hosted&quot;,&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;,&quot;_animation_delay&quot;:1,&quot;show_image_overlay&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;image_overlay&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/kosovotwopointzero.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/05\\\/story-snapshot00151.png&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:74198,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;source&quot;:&quot;library&quot;},&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-hosted-video elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<video class=\"elementor-video\" src=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/artanthanas_anglisht.mp4-1080p.mp4\" controls=\"\" preload=\"metadata\" controlsList=\"nodownload\"><\/video>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/story-snapshot00151.png);\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-custom-embed-play\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Play Video\" tabindex=\"0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"eicon-play\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-screen-only\">Play Video<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-144bbf0 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"144bbf0\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7ba151a\" data-id=\"7ba151a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-534c6c7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"534c6c7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanas supports the protection of nature, and not just because he benefits from the increasing eco-tourism in the region. \u201cI\u2019m an environmentalist,\u201d he said proudly. He talked with eagerness about how an intact wild river system is important for fishing and various species&#8217; natural migration paths.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But like many people we spoke to along the upper section of the river, Artan thinks there has been a rupture in the relationship between nature and man in Albania over the last few decades. He describes how, after the communist regime fell, people started fishing with dynamite. \u201cWe used to use hand<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">made rods, but this was fishing by explosion,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The catch declined. It used to be immeasurable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-14c8ac7\" data-id=\"14c8ac7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-11abd3a elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"11abd3a\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-17b1f9a\" data-id=\"17b1f9a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7725c2e elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"7725c2e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/000_Artan-6.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-73727\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c01e51f elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c01e51f\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2dc163e\" data-id=\"2dc163e\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a19eac9 elementor-hidden-mobile elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a19eac9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0bf3a65\" data-id=\"0bf3a65\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bacddde elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bacddde\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though Thanas does not consider himself an expert on environmental issues, he has an intimate knowledge of many of the species that thrive around his restaurant. He talked with particular concern about the European eel (<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anguilla anguilla<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), an<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> endangered species of whose few remaining habitats the Vjosa is the most significant. \u201cW<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ho can give me a guarantee that the eel will be able to get through the dams?\u201d he asked.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In recent years, scientists fr<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">om Austria, Albania, France, North Macedonia and Germany ha<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ve investigated the river basin to identify and count species like the European eel. They have found not just rich biodiversity and the existence of a number of endangered species, but even discovered species previously unknown to science.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A major collaborative <\/span><a id=\"underline-link\" style=\"color: white;\" href=\"https:\/\/balkanrivers.net\/Vjosa_BaselineSurvey_2021.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from April 2021 led by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vien<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">na, \u201cThe Baseline Survey on Biodiversity, Potential Impacts, and Legal Framework for Hydropower Development,\u201d argu<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">es that hydropower projects would \u201csignificantly degrade the high ecological value of the river\u201d and \u201ccontradict the concept of sustainable development.\u201d It further notes that \u201cviolations of international and national law can clearly be identified\u201d within the government\u2019s previous plans.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-a644b2b elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"a644b2b\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-fc07568\" data-id=\"fc07568\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d0eb631 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"d0eb631\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"676\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Scan-6-K.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-73754\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1c9e1d2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1c9e1d2\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-dd1cb60\" data-id=\"dd1cb60\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5886913 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5886913\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Downstream, the dams would cause total destruction of local environments, disrupting water discharge and sediment flows that are necessary for many of the Vjosa&#8217;s flora and fauna. The Baseline Survey estimates that hydropower dams <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">would lead to a species decrease of 40%<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> due to the way &#8220;t<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hey disrupt inherent processes, like energy flow, nutrient cycling, sediment balancing, and connectivity, and reduce hydrological dynamics.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanas&#8217;s home village of Petran is upstream of any potential dam and would thus avoid the water shortages that villages and agricultural establishments would face downstream. Because of its high elevation, it would also avoid flooding.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But a dam would nonetheless be devastating, not only for a tourism sector that relies on the Vjosa&#8217;s relatively pristine state, but also for the river&#8217;s many migratory species whose breeding grounds would be destroyed or become inaccessible. Dams can disrupt everything, upstream and downstream. A single dam, Guri said, and it&#8217;s all over.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a51c9c4\" data-id=\"a51c9c4\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-7c8e227 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7c8e227\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7f040d9\" data-id=\"7f040d9\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-22d5984 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"22d5984\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Title-sequence.00_14_32_21.Still001.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-73766\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4f7fb42 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4f7fb42\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7354bcc\" data-id=\"7354bcc\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-54acecd elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"54acecd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>The Romantic Allure of a Wild Rive<\/b><b>r<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A short distance down the Vjosa from Petran, where Thanas&#8217;s restaurant perches above the river, is the city of P\u00ebrmet, famous throughout Albania for its agricultural abundance and its wine and raki. P\u00ebrmet is a romantic city, known as the &#8220;City of Flowers,&#8221; particularly roses, which grow along the city&#8217;s riverbanks.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Vjosa&#8217;s central role in the cultural identity of southern Albanians is particularly noticeable here. A number of significant Albanian poets and artists, such as brothers Sami and Naim Frash\u00ebri and the sculptor Odhise Paskali, came from P\u00ebrmet or nearby and the profound connection between the people and the epic landscape that is defined by the Vjosa is the focus of many Albanian poems and folk songs.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the city\u2019s riverfro<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nt park \u2014 among huge, smooth, white boulders, sculpted by the turquoise water over many years \u2014 we <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">met Kliti Nurka, grandson of Laver Bariu, the world-famous musician from P\u00ebrmet. Bariu was<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> an innovator of the city\u2019s dr<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">one-based <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">saze<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> musical style and a master of kaba <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> weeping on a clar<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">inet. Active in the city throughout his long life, Bariu took P\u00ebrmet\u2019s signature style of rich instrumental music to the wider Albanian nation during the dictatorship and enjoyed international success after the arrival of democracy.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-63e9048\" data-id=\"63e9048\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9c4f085 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9c4f085\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-47b419d\" data-id=\"47b419d\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d85c9e0 elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"d85c9e0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;hosted&quot;,&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;,&quot;show_image_overlay&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;image_overlay&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/kosovotwopointzero.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/05\\\/000_Kliti-2.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:73736,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;source&quot;:&quot;library&quot;},&quot;_animation_delay&quot;:1,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-hosted-video elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<video class=\"elementor-video\" src=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/klitinurka_anglisht.mp4-1080p.mp4\" controls=\"\" preload=\"metadata\" controlsList=\"nodownload\"><\/video>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/000_Kliti-2.jpg);\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-custom-embed-play\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Play Video\" tabindex=\"0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"eicon-play\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-screen-only\">Play Video<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2a2f2c5 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2a2f2c5\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e5c3162\" data-id=\"e5c3162\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6fefe34 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6fefe34\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4e40058\" data-id=\"4e40058\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-64b6fe8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"64b6fe8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Nurka told us with the enthusiasm&nbsp;of a proud P\u00ebrmetar about how the Vjosa and its surrounding nature was a source of inspiration for his grandfather. Bariu used to sit by the water and imitate birdsong and the texture of rushing water on his clarinet while fishing with his homemade rod and hook. The people of P\u00ebrmet, Nurka explained, boast of the uniqueness of their songs compared to the songs of other parts of Lab\u00ebria, Albania\u2019s rugged southwestern region. While the songs of Lab\u00ebria are often of war, death and honor, the songs of P\u00ebrmet are about nature, love and beauty.<\/p>\n<p><br><\/p>\n<p>As Nurka was showing us a video on his phone of his grandfather, he said that the Vjosa, in its wild free-flowing state, is a source of inspiration for those who live along its banks. \u201cIt\u2019s impossible for me to imagine starting my day without taking a look at the river,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And I believe it\u2019s the same for the other people who live here.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-8bfd617 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8bfd617\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1f130f8\" data-id=\"1f130f8\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9451620 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"9451620\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"666\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Scan-7-C.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-73760\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-59fa037 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"59fa037\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c7f8000\" data-id=\"c7f8000\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-06f8bd3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"06f8bd3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Dammed and Condemned<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Continuing downstream we entered the middle section of the river, where shifting gravel flats give way to a number of tight canyons and bottlenecks well suited to dam construction. This is where builders have cast their <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">eyes and where the stalled construction of the Kaliva\u00e7 hydropower station can still be seen. Scarred mountain sides are now the backdrop to a half-built turbine surrounded by construction equipment that has been left on-site.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As elsewhere along the Vjosa, and throughout much of Albania, the people talk about emigration. The youth have all gone. Few people remain.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In the Vjosa\u2019s upper section, people benefit from the river being undammed, as the increasing investment in the tourism sector shows. But love of nature isn&#8217;t independent of financial considerations and the people in the middle s<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ection are self-admittedly poor, with salaries below the national average.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Talking to us in the village of Ka<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">liva\u00e7, from which a lonely road leads to the abandoned dam, a vill<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ager who asked to not be named explains that many people in his community are suffering from serious poverty and are primarily interested in finding work. If a dam meant more jobs for the villagers, their thoughts about nature conservation would be more complex. Nevertheless, it was locals from Kaliva\u00e7 who resisted the dam project, certain that its construction would not improve their economic situation. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-56934f2\" data-id=\"56934f2\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e0bff25 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e0bff25\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-68f1502\" data-id=\"68f1502\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9ea7982 elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"9ea7982\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;hosted&quot;,&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;,&quot;show_image_overlay&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;image_overlay&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/kosovotwopointzero.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/05\\\/story-snapshot00351.png&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:74162,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;source&quot;:&quot;library&quot;},&quot;_animation_delay&quot;:1,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-hosted-video elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<video class=\"elementor-video\" src=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/kalivac_and_pocem.mov-1080p.mp4\" controls=\"\" preload=\"metadata\" controlsList=\"nodownload\"><\/video>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/story-snapshot00351.png);\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-custom-embed-play\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Play Video\" tabindex=\"0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"eicon-play\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-screen-only\">Play Video<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9cba166 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9cba166\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4e34ffc\" data-id=\"4e34ffc\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8fa9c4b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8fa9c4b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contrary to the rosy environmental and social impact assessments submitted by the construction companies \u2014 which a group of scientists called a &#8220;<\/span><a id=\"underline-link\" style=\"color: white;\" href=\"https:\/\/balkanrivers.net\/en\/news\/renowned-scientists-confirm-environmental-assessment-for-vjosa-hydropower-project-is-a-farce\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">farce<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8221; \u2014 locals, supported by NGOs and scientists, have argued that if the dams at Kaliva\u00e7 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or nearby Po\u00e7em had been completed, much of the surroundings would have been left without fresh water, other parts would have been submerged and people would have been displaced. Their remaining resources \u2014 their productive fields and orchards \u2014 would have been lost, and their potential for agricultural self-sufficiency would be gone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to an <\/span><a id=\"underline-link\" style=\"color: white;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ecoalbania.org\/en\/2020\/08\/15\/socio-economic-analyses-of-the-vjosa-river-basin%EF%BF%BC\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">analysis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Dr. Klodian Mu\u00e7o about the socio-economic impact of the dam, the energy company&#8217;s construction plans show that there would be \u201ca significant impact on road infrastructure [&#8230;] on the national road Tepelene\u0308-Levan which will be flooded [&#8230;] for a length of 2.8 km.\u201d The negative effects of dams would therefore require huge investments to fix.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the support of EcoAlbania and experts in environmental law, the villagers <\/span><a id=\"underline-link\" style=\"color: white;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ecoalbania.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/4.3.2_Socio-economic-analyses_Klodian-Muco.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">won their case<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In May 2017, after over two decades of delays and controversy, the Albanian government canceled its contract with the Italian company Kaliva\u00e7i Green Energy.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The case of the planned dam at Po\u00e7em, just a few kilometers down the river from Kaliva\u00e7, is similar. EcoAlbania helped 30 Po\u00e7em residents oppose the dam and in 2016 they succeeded in court and the plans were canceled. Whereas in Kaliva\u00e7 the legal case is completed and considered a success by Besjana Guri, appeals are ongoing in the Po\u00e7em case and it is unclear what will happen. Because the announcement of the Vjosa River Nature Park does not prevent dam construction along the river, EcoAlbania and the residents of Po\u00e7em remain concerned.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0daa439\" data-id=\"0daa439\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ddcecc9 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ddcecc9\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-43f0bc0\" data-id=\"43f0bc0\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-227adb7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"227adb7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/000_Abstract-water-4K.00_03_04_10.Still011.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-73724\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-509c885 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"509c885\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0c2f266\" data-id=\"0c2f266\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e187897 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e187897\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That the Kaliva\u00e7 dam project was being undertaken by an Italian company is both significant and emblematic. In recent years Italy and other EU countries have been making large investments in hydroelectric facilities in Albania and across the Balkans. Though hydropower is considered green energy due to its carbon neutrality, it is increasingly being opposed by environmentalists, who particularly oppose the types of mini hydroelectric projects that are being built across the Balkans, which, despite causing massive ecological destruction, produce relatively little energy.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a <\/span><a id=\"underline-link\" style=\"color: white;\" href=\"https:\/\/bankwatch.org\/publication\/financing-for-hydropower-in-protected-areas-of-southeast-europe-update\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2018 report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the environmental watchdog organization Bankwatch showed that the current hydropower boom in the Balkans, many of whose projects are planned in protected areas, has been funded to a large extent by European development banks. The report argues that &#8220;more needs to be done to take account of the poor environmental governance standards in many of their countries of operation.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With eight dams planned for the B\u00ebn\u00e7a and five on the Shushica, the Vjosa&#8217;s main tributaries are at greater risk than the main river channel. In response to this threat, Scientists for Balkan Rivers <\/span><a id=\"underline-link\" style=\"color: white;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.balkanrivers.net\/en\/studies\/the-shushica-river-interdisciplinary-exploration-of-the-unique-ecosystem\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">announced in June 2021<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that the Shushica alone provides a habitat for at least \u201cthree aquatic insect and mollusc species [\u2026] that are new to science, several species new to Albania and several species listed on the Red List of endangered species.\u201d Dam construction would have adverse effects on these and other species.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A report from the organization argu<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">es that the tributary h<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as not been the subject of sufficient environmental research and that the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (a report that is legally required to be compiled prior to any large building project in order to identify any potentially negative environmental impacts) that a dam developer submitted for one of the proposed projects was not properly conducted. Bankwatch reported that they foresee \u201cpotential violations of international and national law by the blockage of migration routes due to the construction of hydropower dams.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The inhabitants of the villages along this 80-kilometer-long tributary of the Vjosa are just as eager to prevent the construction of hydropower plants as are the villagers of Kaliva\u00e7 and Po\u00e7em. Many locals are currently <\/span><a id=\"underline-link\" style=\"color: white;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.balkanrivers.net\/en\/sotir-zahoaliaj-shushica-river-albania\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organizing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to protect the Shushica from dam building.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-05ab17d\" data-id=\"05ab17d\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9f8e03d elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9f8e03d\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-afb433a\" data-id=\"afb433a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b02ebb0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"b02ebb0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Riverscapes-4K.00_29_41_16.Still040.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-73751\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-95360e9 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"95360e9\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-52637bc\" data-id=\"52637bc\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0371ad8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0371ad8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-51c6960\" data-id=\"51c6960\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4617222 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4617222\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Sunny Southern Albania<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The small village of Kut\u00eb is mid-way between Kaliva\u00e7 and Po\u00e7em. There we met Rajmonda Merkaj<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, whose house sits at the edge of the quiet center of town. M<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ost of the young people have left the village. This includes Merkaj&#8217;s children, three of whom are in Greece, the other in England.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The school in Kut\u00eb once had over 350 students. Now there are only 50. The white school building, surrounded by palm trees and rose bushes, stands at the highest point in the village. Older kids might be tall enough to peer out from the school&#8217;s courtyard over the stone wall and see the wide Vjosa valley and the fields of the village laid out in the panorama below them.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kut\u00eb has become a place where an alternate vision of Albania\u2019s energy future is being imagined. In <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2020, EcoAlbania began a campaign to get solar panels installed in the village, which had been actively involved in the campaign against the Po\u00e7em dam because its fertile farmlands upstream from the proposed site would have been flooded.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-88b0206 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"88b0206\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-d0fb8f4\" data-id=\"d0fb8f4\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a208f7f elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"a208f7f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;hosted&quot;,&quot;start&quot;:0,&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;,&quot;show_image_overlay&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;image_overlay&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/kosovotwopointzero.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/05\\\/story-snapshot00351-1.png&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:74165,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;source&quot;:&quot;library&quot;},&quot;_animation_delay&quot;:1,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-hosted-video elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<video class=\"elementor-video\" src=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/rajmondamerka_anglisht.mp4-1080p.mp4\" controls=\"\" preload=\"metadata\" controlsList=\"nodownload\"><\/video>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/story-snapshot00351-1.png);\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-custom-embed-play\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Play Video\" tabindex=\"0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"eicon-play\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-screen-only\">Play Video<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c5805d6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c5805d6\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-8eb197d\" data-id=\"8eb197d\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ccde670 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ccde670\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>With the solar panels, according to EcoAlbania, the village could prove that a steady energy supply is possible without additional hydropower. Furthermore, with new laws, villages with solar panels could profit by selling their excess energy. However, the legal infrastructure to redistribute such excess energy has not yet been implemented in Albania. The panels were installed at the beginning of 2022, along with the village\u2019s first ever street lighting.<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ninety-nine percent of Albania\u2019s energy output is generated by hydropower. Though Albania sells its excess energy to neighboring countries when the rivers are high, it is a net importer of energy. When the rivers are low, electricity must be imported, often at high prices.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Albania has plans for new high-voltage power lines to increase its capacity for energy exports to neighboring countries including Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Italy. As a result, it aims to produce more energy and seems to be sticking with what it knows: hydropower dams.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Further reliance on hydropower is not an ideal way to improve the country\u2019s energy infrastructure. Opponents of more dam building are particularly interested in solar power, since southern Albania gets 300 days of sun a year. In contrast, in times of climate crisis, hydropower is looking like less of a reliable bet, as a <\/span><a id=\"underline-link\" style=\"color: white;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/balkans-power\/west-balkans-energy-bills-surge-as-drought-curbs-hydropower-%20output-idUKL8N1LG2BH?edition-redirect=uk\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">severe drought<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the Balkans in 2017 demonstrated.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b0332de\" data-id=\"b0332de\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-704a742 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"704a742\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1d495ff\" data-id=\"1d495ff\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3b2f7ac elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"3b2f7ac\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"707\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/000_Rajmonda-1.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-73739\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4497165\" data-id=\"4497165\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cd99e01 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"cd99e01\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"720\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Scan-6-L.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-73757\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c90e86a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c90e86a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-12fdd53\" data-id=\"12fdd53\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-30c233d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"30c233d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c296c1c\" data-id=\"c296c1c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-14562bc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"14562bc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the Kaliva\u00e7 and Po\u00e7em dams would produce electricity, having their own land to farm on is more important to the people of Kut\u00eb, Rajmonda Merkaj said. The local villagers have worked the fields in the valley for generations and refuse to be displaced.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though some politicians and investors claim that hydropower can generate jobs, there\u2019s room for skepticism as to whether they would create more jobs than other sectors could. The tourism sector in this region is currently <\/span><a id=\"underline-link\" style=\"color: white;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ecoalbania.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/4.3.2_Socio-economic-analyses_Klodian-Muco.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">growing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at a rate of 15% a year. Merkaj agrees with the government that hydropower is an important source of energy for the local community, but she thinks a national park would benefit the village more. Villagers could benefit from guesthouses and increased tourism and enjoy better economic prospects without spoiling the beautiful surroundings.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not only that, the establishment of a national park for the Vjosa River would provide opportunities along the entire 270-kilometer-long course, and the earnings would go largely to local communities directly, instead of to international energy companies.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-356df50 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"356df50\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4f190db\" data-id=\"4f190db\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eb74f52 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"eb74f52\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Riverscapes-4K.00_20_46_01.Still029.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-74072\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d832ee3 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d832ee3\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9944a60\" data-id=\"9944a60\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d9171b3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d9171b3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>At Sea: The Future of the River<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following the course of Vjosa, it becomes clear the threat of dams is not the only threat the river faces. Along the shores, stuck between rocks and hanging from tree branches, sometimes at surprising heights, are shreds of colorful plastic trash. The wellbeing of the environment in Albania requires broad political changes, not limited to improvements to energy distribution infrastructure and the waste management system.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As one reaches the Vjosa delta and watches the water rush out to sea<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, another problem becomes clear: the plans for the construction of the Vlor\u00eb International Airport. The government\u2019s January 2022 review of protected areas that established the nature park also affected things here. It redrew the boundaries of the Vjos\u00eb-Nart\u00eb Protected Area, one of the largest and most ecologically diverse lagoons in Albania, so that the airport&#8217;s ground plans, which have it sitting in the middle of the Narta Lagoon, would no longer infringe on the protected environmental area.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here too construction iss<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ues affect both nature and humans. In the words of Olsi Nika, executive director of EcoAlbania, one problem with the airport is that \u201cbefore the flamingoes all leave due to noise and other pollution, the first planes might find they have a problem flying through flocks of large birds.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The future of the Vjosa is embedded in a broader context of political decision-making. Without rock solid guarantees for the protection of Europe&#8217;s last wild river, the government, or future governments, can always redraw boundaries, renege on promises and pursue short-sighted goals with the country&#8217;s natural bounty.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Back in Petran, near the Greek border, we asked Artan Thanas what his wishes are for the future of the river. &#8220;Nothing,&#8221; he said. To him, the Vjosa is already perfect, and the best intervention would be to leave it as it is.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-8562958\" data-id=\"8562958\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ed42f90 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ed42f90\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f2db97e\" data-id=\"f2db97e\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ce7624 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"3ce7624\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"674\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Scan-7-fff.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-73763\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-7cfb2bf elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7cfb2bf\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-32f2144\" data-id=\"32f2144\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40c9881 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"40c9881\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Norway_Logo_Positive_CMYK.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"185\" height=\"35\"><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Balkan-Trust_cmyk-copy.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"226\" height=\"44\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 80%;\"><i>This article has been produced with the financial support of the \u201cBalkan Trust for Democracy,\u201d a project of the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Balkan Trust for Democracy, the German Marshall Fund of the United States, or its partners.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 80%;\"><i>Why do I see this&nbsp;<a id=\"underline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/donors\/\" style=\"\" target=\"_blank\">disclaimer<\/a>?<\/i><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a06e23a\" data-id=\"a06e23a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Europe&#8217;s Last Wild River ENG SHQ (SHQ) B\/C\/S (B\/C\/S) Text:\u00a0Freya H\u00e4berlein and Dan Shutt Video:\u00a0Dan Shutt, Isaac Eastgate and Freya&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":799,"featured_media":73766,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[972],"tags":[217],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73778"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/799"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73778"}],"version-history":[{"count":336,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73778\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87661,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73778\/revisions\/87661"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}