News - Albania

Albanian court halts hydropower projects on Shushica River – Victory for the Vjosa Wild River National Park and civil society

 13.12.2024

On 11 December 2024, a court in Tirana finally ended the threat of hydropower plants on the Shushica - one of the main tributaries of the Vjosa and part of the Vjosa Wild River National Park.

Brave Women of Kruščica join forces with residents of the Shushica Valley in fight against water abstraction project

In a powerful display of solidarity and resistance, the Brave Women of Kruščica (BiH) visited the Shushica Valley in Albania to support the ongoing fight against the controversial water abstraction project. They formed a symbolic human chain together with locals across the Shushica.

STOP SKAVICA: A two-day adventure and activism experience

 28.06.2024

A recent camp in Dibra, Albania, brought together diverse participants to explore the region's natural beauty while raising awareness about the Skavica Dam hydropower project. The event highlighted Dibra's eco-tourism potential and fostered cooperation among activists, emphasising the need to protect the area from the dam's significant social and environmental impacts.

A pipe for Prime Minister Edi Rama

 27.05.2024

Last Saturday, representatives of the communities of the Shushica river valley and other locals from Vlora and Vjosa valley travelled to Tirana to hand over a special petition to Prime Minister Edi Rama. People from 37 villages in the valley have united in a powerful statement against the water abstraction project from the Shushica River.

Celebrating International Day of Forests: ReForestVjosa Project launched

On this year’s International Day of Forests on March 21st, we are proud to inaugurate our first tree nursery along the picturesque banks of the Vjosa River. The inauguration ceremony, held in Tepelena, marked the official launch of the ReForestVjosa project, a comprehensive reforestation initiative aimed at revitalizing the Vjosa's ecosystem and mitigating erosion along its shores.

Protests for Shushica continue

Vjosa Wild River National Park is under threat as construction works on Shushica persists for the water supply of the tourist coast! Despite relentless opposition from locals, activists, and scientists, the construction goes on. The fate of over 30 villages hangs in the balance, but our community's resolve is unbreakable. Find out more about the Shushica case and the local resistance in the video by Joshua David Lim:

Protest on the Albanian Shushica River: Vjosa National Park in danger

12 mayors and numerous other residents of the Shushica Valley and other regions of the Vjosa National Park, activists, lawyers and scientists gathered this morning in the village of Kuç on the banks of the Shushica River. They are protesting the plans of the government in Tirana to take the water from the Shushica and channel it to the Mediterranean

Study: Reforestation proposal for the Vjosa catchment

 04.10.2023

This study defines clear steps and locations to start an afforestation project in the Vjosa catchment. The authors propose ten pilot areas to start the afforestation. As there is no autochthonous planting material available on the market, it has to be grown from diaspores / mother plants from the region in a forest garden to be

Skavica mega dam: Albanian court to scrutinise special law for U.S. contractor Bechtel

 25.09.2023

Nature conservation and human rights organisations have secured an important first milestone in the fight against the planned 210 MW Skavica hydropower plant in the Albanian municipalities of Kukës and Dibër: a constitutional complaint submitted

Growing opposition to Albanian airport

 19.09.2023

Bern Convention calls on Albania to stop airport construction near Narta Lagoon. Project in Vjosa Delta endangers thousands of migratory birds. Conservation organisations filed lawsuits against destructive and illegal construction.

Help now Newsletter