Shushica Science Week 2021

The Shushica River

Shushica River © Nick St.Oegger

The Shushica, stretching 80 km and covering a catchment area of 715 km², is a major tributary of the Vjosa River and a critical component of the entire river network. With only slightly impaired hydrogeomorphological structures and largely unhindered flow dynamics, the Shushica offers a range of diverse habitats for flora and fauna.

Science Week

Following up on the first Science Week held in 2017 at the Vjosa, the 2021 Science Week shifted focus to two of its major tributaries, the Shushica and Bënça. From May 29 to June 6, 2021, a diverse team of scientists from Austria, Albania, Italy, and Germany collected multidisciplinary data to contribute to the establishment of the ecological importance of the Vjosa and its network.

Organised by leading scientists Prof. Fritz Schiemer from the University of Vienna and his Albanian counterpart Prof. Aleko Miho from the University of Tirana, this Science Week concentrated on researching and collecting data, particularly on the Shushica tributary and the Bënça. Plans to construct five hydropower plants (HPPs) on the Shushica and eight on the Bënça posed significant threats. 

The aim of this Science Week and the following report was to create a scientific basis for a valid environmental impact assessment and to document the possible violations of laws and agreements caused by the construction of hydropower plants along the Shushica River. The research sites focused on areas that would be directly affected by the construction of dams, ranging from the headwaters upstream of Kuc to Gjorm downstream. Studies included hydro-geomorphology, assessment of riparian vegetation, and establishing a baseline on biodiversity through the evaluation of aquatic macroinvertebrates, groundwater biota, fish fauna, and riparian terrestrial fauna, all undertaken to support the high conservation value of the Shushica.

Scientists in the field. © Nick St.Oegger

The preliminary report from this science week, published in December 2021, highlights the Shushica's high protection value as an essential part of the Vjosa river system. During the brief collection period, researchers discovered three aquatic insect and mollusc species new to science, several previously unrecorded in Albania, and multiple species listed on the Red List of endangered species. Additionally, the Shushica is a hotspot for riparian-terrestrial and fish fauna.

To protect the Vjosa and establish a Wild River National Park, it is crucial to safeguard its tributaries and, on a broader scale, the whole river network. To ensure these objectives are met, the focus will continue to be on the main course of the Vjosa and its tributaries, maintaining an intact river network from its source to the sea.

The Shushica River – Interdisciplinary exploration of the unique ecosystem 

 

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