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Vjosa is protected by law, but not in reality, Patagonia raises the alarm: Here's what threatens the National Park

2025-07-18 07:52:50Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Vjosa is protected by law, but not in reality, Patagonia raises the alarm:
Vjosa

Two years after its historic designation as the first wild river national park in Europe in March 2023, the Vjosa River remains under constant pressure from extractive industries, due to infrastructure expansion and unethical development, jeopardizing the ecological integrity of the park and its value as a nature reserve of global importance.

If the Albanian government continues to ignore these pressures, Vjosa risks becoming a "paper park", protected by law but not in reality.

At the same time, the Albanian government is seeking UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status for the Vjosa River Valley. However, unless action is taken to address the serious threats described below, the Biosphere Reserve designation will be merely symbolic, while real protection at the territorial level will be lacking.

A new report, Mapping Pressures in the Vjosa Wild River National Park, documents these threats in detail. The assessment, presented to the National Agency for Protected Areas in March 2025, highlights the urgent need for policy action and control. The main threats have been mapped and summarized in a fact sheet.

Main threats identified

 Oil extraction – Poorly monitored oil operations threaten the biodiversity and water quality of the Vjosa. Frequent spills have been documented, polluting the water and damaging aquatic ecosystems. Despite the National Park Management Plan prohibiting them, uncontrolled oil spills continue to be a regular occurrence along the river banks.

Bitumen mining and processing – Bitumen mining in the middle reaches of the river causes serious environmental damage. Illegal dumping of mining waste continues to endanger habitats and aquatic systems. Although prohibited, weak law enforcement encourages these practices to continue.

Water for agriculture – Excessive water use for agriculture, industry and tourism contributes to reduced river flow, which in turn affects aquatic ecosystems and downstream communities. With climate change predicted to reduce water availability in the Vjosa by 30% by 2050, unregulated abstraction will become an even greater threat.

Gravel mining – Continued gravel mining alters the river's hydrology, destroys fish breeding grounds, and destabilizes the riverbed.

Municipal waste and wastewater – Poor waste and wastewater management pollutes the river, endangering wildlife and public health. Waste dumps are often located very close to the river, risking contamination during floods. Rural areas contribute significantly to plastic pollution, and untreated wastewater is discharged directly into the Vjosa.

In addition to these five main threats, overtourism threatens the ecological integrity of the park. While sustainable tourism is desirable, the rapid and poorly planned expansion of facilities poses challenges to habitat conservation, visitor management, and ecological sustainability.

Required actions

The scale of some of these pollution problems would constitute environmental crimes even outside a protected area. In the context of a recently established national park, these violations are particularly alarming and require urgent action to preserve the credibility of the park designation.

Therefore, we call on the Albanian government and the Ministry of Tourism and Environment to:

Implement strict regulations to monitor and prevent extractive and polluting activities, such as bitumen and gravel extraction or oil spills.

Obligation of extractive industry companies to develop and implement environmental restoration projects, in accordance with the "polluter pays" principle.

Review/rehabilitate municipal waste disposal sites to prevent plastic pollution. Municipalities should also develop and implement rehabilitation measures for disposal sites and strengthen waste management systems and water treatment plants in surrounding communities.

Ensure accurate monitoring of water extraction and work in cooperation with municipalities and the Ministry of Agriculture to prevent its misuse.

Implement rigorous monitoring of uncontrolled development and expansion of tourist facilities in areas adjacent to the national park, as such interventions may alter biodiversity balances and compromise the park's conservation values.

Why Vjosa is important

The Vjosa River System is home to over 1,100 species, including 13 globally threatened animals, and is one of the last major free-flowing rivers in Europe. Its designation as an IUCN Category II National Park marked a milestone in international river conservation.

"This park has been celebrated all over the world, but the reality on the ground tells a different story. Without immediate political will, Vjosa risks being protected only on paper," said Olsi Nika of EcoAlbania.

About Patagonia

Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is an outdoor clothing company headquartered in Ventura, California. A Certified B Corporation and founding member of 1% for the Planet, the company is internationally recognized for its unwavering commitment to producing the highest quality products, its environmental activism, and its donation of more than $250 million to environmental groups. Its unique structure is based on a single shareholder: the planet. Profits that are not reinvested in the company’s business are redistributed, in the form of dividends, to protect it.


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