Vjosa in the focus of the German Minister of Environment

In March 2023 the Vjosa in Albania was designated as Europe’s first wild river national park, and yet the Vjosa as well as its tributaries are still threatened by infrastructure projects of the government in Tirana. During a trip to the river by Federal Environment Minister Lemke's delegation, EuroNatur‘s Executive Director Gabriel Schwaderer, together with representatives of the Albanian partners EcoAlbania and PPNEA, emphasised the great value of the Vjosa wild river landscape as well as the major challenges caused by massive interventions in the river ecosystem. The delegation included employees from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment and Manuel Sarrazin, Special Representative of the German Federal Government for the Western Balkans, as well as members of the Southeast Europe Association.

During the trip, meetings were held with local nature conservation groups as well as with the mayors of national park communities. Our partner organisations EcoAlbania and Riverwatch are currently campaigning to regenerate degraded alluvial forests. The delegation of the Federal Environment Minister visited the planting project on the Vjosa where important riparian forests of the future shall be created. 

“Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke was enthusiastic about the Vjosa,“ says Gabriel Schwaderer. "It is particularly gratifying that the German government has guaranteed three million Euros to go into further conservation measures in the Vjosa National Park. We would also like to see continued commitment for this matter from the future German Government."

Staying in dialogue with political activists, EuroNatur will maintain pressure on the Albanian government to take specific steps for the effective protection of the Vjosa and its tributaries. Above all, this includes stopping projects which destroy nature such as the construction of the Vlora airport or the water extraction project on the Shushica - a major tributary of the Vjosa.