Besjana Guri and Olsi Nika from our Albanian partner organisation EcoAlbania were honoured with the Goldman Environmental Prize, the highest award for environmentalists. They received the award for their tireless efforts to protect the Vjosa.
Besjana Guri and Olsi Nika in front of the Vjosa: Their commitment has made a decisive contribution to saving the river.
© Goldman Environmental Prize
The Vjosa is Europe's last large unspoilt wild river. Albania therefore has a treasure of outstanding ecological value.
© Goldman Environmental PrizeOn 21 April, Besjana Guri and Olsi Nika from EcoAlbania received the Goldman Prize in San Francisco, the ‘Nobel Prize of environmental protection’, which is awarded annually to environmental activists and conservationists. "We warmly congratulate our Albanian partners and are delighted that they have been honoured with this important prize," says EuroNatur Executive Director Gabriel Schwaderer. "Without EcoAlbania's tireless efforts to protect the Vjosa, we would not be where we are today: Besjana Guri and Olsi Nika have played a decisive role in making the Vjosa Europe's first wild river national park."
In March 2023, the Vjosa and its tributaries were declared a national park, a huge success for EcoAlbania and the ‘Save the Blue Heart of Europe’ campaign. Nevertheless, the river ecosystem is still under threat from infrastructure projects by the government in Tirana. Near the mouth of the Vjosa, the Albanian government is pressing ahead with the construction of the Vlora airport; large-scale tourism projects that are harmful to nature are being planned in the Vjosa delta and a water extraction project on the Vjosa's tributary, the Shushica, is threatening the integrity of the national park.
"The protection of the Vjosa is the first major victory for the environment in Albania", said Besjana Guri in her acceptance speech at the ceremony. "This success, with so many dedicated people behind it, shows that change is possible, even in a world where it often feels like our voices are not heard. The award is a reminder of what is possible when people come together: they can make the impossible possible," she said.
"It was fantastic to see how a handful of people working to protect the Vjosa grew into a large movement that was never discouraged by setbacks," Olsi Nika recalls in his acceptance speech. "The recognition serves as motivation for us to continue our efforts and I hope that it will also encourage others to never give up and to believe in their vision," says the Executive Director of EcoAlbania.