Yesterday, September 24 2025, the Austrian freshwater ecologist Prof. Dr. Fritz Schiemer, Chair of Riverwatch, has been awarded the Wolfgang Staab Nature Conservation Award 2025 by the Schweisfurth Stiftung. The prize recognizes his exceptional scientific and political commitment to protecting the Vjosa River in Albania.

 "LIFE IS A RIVER" is a new song from the legendary Darko Rundek, celebrating the wild rivers of the Balkans.

National Park status should safeguard the Vjosa. Ask the Albanian government to continue their commitment to this wild place, and ensure the Vjosa Wild River National Park is protected today, tomorrow, and forever. 

A coalition of 19 civil society organisations has sent a powerful message to the Government of North Macedonia: act now to re-proclaim Mavrovo National Park in compliance with the law.

Two years after its landmark designation in March 2023 as Europe’s first Wild River National Park, the Vjosa River is under continuous pressure from extractive industries, infrastructure expansion, and mismanaged development, putting the park’s ecological integrity and its global conservation value at risk.

The Komarnica River will continue to flow freely through its eponymous canyon - at least for the time being. The project has been temporarily halted, but not cancelled.

The lack of required ecological flow from a hydropower dam in the Greek section of the Aoos/Vjosa River is endangering a unique and fragile ecosystem. A new scientific study underscores the urgent need to establish a minimum flow regime to restore the river’s ecological functions and safeguard its rich biodiversity.

Delayed environmental review and decision-making raise serious concerns over transparency and governance. Procedural failures and legal shortcuts undermine public trust in Montenegro’s environmental commitments.

POSTPONED: From June 6-8, river defenders will once again gather at Komarnica for a pivotal edition of the Camp on Komarnica. This year's gathering carries special significance, as the campaign to protect the Komarnica River approaches a crucial decision point from the Environmental Protection Agency.

On 21 April 2025, Besjana Guri and Olsi Nika received the renowned 2025 Goldman Environmental Prize. The prize is endowed with 200,000 USD.  They were given the prize for their indispensable commitment to igniting a social movement to establish the Vjosa Wild River National Park, the first of its kind in Europe.