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A NASA study of what is happening to Lake Prespa

2023-04-27 18:55:38Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
A NASA study of what is happening to Lake Prespa
Lake Prespa

Lake Prespa was untouched for thousands of years, and under the pressure of climate change, uncontrolled pumping and pollution, this prehistoric lake in southeastern Europe is shrinking at an alarming rate.

The lake on the triple border of Albania, Greece and North Macedonia is believed to be home to thousands of species of animals and plants that depend on the water and surrounding habitats.

High temperatures have significantly reduced the annual amount of snow in this area. Vital streams that flow into the lake have dried up, threatening species that depend on the lake and nearby water. The lack of rainfall has led to a continuous retreat of water, which in some places has retreated up to three kilometers, according to park rangers.

"Earlier there was much more snow that could reach a meter or a meter and a half, while in recent years there has been almost no snowfall," one of the guards, Goran Stojanovski, 38, told AFP .

Stojanovski has spent more than a decade monitoring the lake in North Macedonia.

Other experts agree, citing various ways in which the effects of climate change have led to the lake's continued decline.

"The recorded changes in lake levels are related to climate changes," said Spase Shumka, professor at the Agricultural University of Tirana.

Shumka emphasized that higher temperatures have increased evaporation and decreased annual rainfall. Other problems are created by the surrounding apple farms, which rely heavily on water.

The study cited by NASA found that the lake lost seven percent of its surface area and half of its volume between 1984 and 2020.

Environmental pollution from agricultural water from nearby orchards only adds to the problems. It leads to algal blooms, which is why many fear the creation of dead zones.

"The lake has been intensively polluted for decades," said Zlatko Levkov, a biologist from Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, adding:

"Simply put, the habitats of many species can be completely altered, their populations reduced and potentially extinct."

According to experts, Lake Prespa is between one and five million years old. This makes it one of the oldest freshwater ecosystems on the continent. Approximately two thousand species of fish, birds and mammals, along with many flora, use the lake's water for survival.

Further degradation could be catastrophic for the local ecosystem, but also for Lake Ohrid, located 10 kilometers to the west.

Lake Prespa is located at an elevation, while Lake Ohrid maintains its level by relying on its underground flows through the limestone.

Lake Ohrid was in danger of losing its place on UNESCO's natural world heritage list two years ago due to excessive pollution and unregulated development.

According to a report by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), about 65 tons of pesticides are used each year in the region and large amounts of chemicals end up in the lake.

Pesticides and fertilizers are used mainly in apple orchards, accounting for about 70 percent of the economic activity around North Macedonia's lakeshore.

"The dumping of biodegradable waste and the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides have fueled the rapid growth of biomass in the lake, such as invasive algae and grasses, which threaten endemic species," UNDP said.

A NASA study of what is happening to Lake Prespa

In recent years, countless initiatives have been launched to better manage the harmful effects of the agricultural sector. As part of a project, eight meteorological stations were built. The data collected helps inform farmers about the use of pesticides, which has reduced their use by 30 percent.

"By reducing the number of treatments, we have a greater economic benefit and improve environmental protection," Frosina Gjorgjievska, 56, an apple grower in North Macedonia, told AFP.

In a region where economic hardship, poor infrastructure and declining birth rates are the biggest problems, environmental concerns often fall to the back of government priorities.

Most experts believe more needs to be done to protect the lake's future, including better implementation of a series of agreements signed by North Macedonia, Albania and Greece in 2012.

Activists are calling for a shift to organic farming and investment in sustainable tourism to help spread awareness.

"We want to preserve the authenticity of Lake Prespa, its beauty and continue to enjoy it," said Marija Eftimovska, 42, a local environmental activist.


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