“Climate change is a serious concern for a country like Albania and that needs to be taken into account when planning further renewable energy resources,” says Denk. NO dams in Vjosa, “NO” to Poçem dam. “Our analysis clearly shows that especially for the EBRD, but also the World Bank Group, financing hydropower projects in protected areas is the norm, not an exception,” said Bankwatch’s Pippa Gallop in a statement in December. Whereas a wind turbine park that is 99 percent finished will work fine for you. Its got to be 100 percent finished. But dams do not offer this option. To take the French example, on the country's rivers and streams are (totally or partially) blocked every 6 km in average [1] [2] whereas most of them do not have a known use [3] . Big dams are dumb scaling. Encouraging the villagers to fight for the beauty of the valley and the river, Ulrike Lunacek, the European Parliament vice president, said Albania was a candidate to join the EU and must respect its environmental rules. Albania’s government has set in motion plans to dam the Vjosa to generate much-needed electricity for one of Europe’s poorest countries, with the intent to build eight dams along the main river. Bernie Sanders Mittens Memes Take Over Social Media. Vjosa –Europe´s first Wild River National Park". In the decade from 2004-2014, renewable energy produced in the EU increased by 73.1 percent. Looking at the dates of past hydroelectric projects, Zamir Dedej, the director of the Albanian government’s National Agency of Protected Areas, says nearly all the projects were given as kickbacks for votes. Sheep feed in the delta of the Vjosa River, where it flows into Adriatic Sea. Ecological concerns have been sidelined across the Balkans—not just on the Vjosa. But as development moves ahead, the economic, social and even environmental drawbacks are casting a black shadow over the green boom. The Vjosa river in Albania is one of the last wild rivers in Europe. “The fields are going to be completely filled up. It will give you 99 percent of what you would have gotten.”, Regardless, construction of the Pocem dam will probably go ahead, according to Dedej, from the environment ministry. It will die.”. The boat crashes to the ground and is kicked back amidst the demonstrators. The EBRD, European Investment Bank (EIB) and the IFC have made loans for 75 hydropower projects, including 30 directly affecting protected natural areas, totaling 818 million euros, says BankWatch, an industry watchdog focusing on Central and Eastern Europe. The area has mostly been drained and the Vjosa is used for irrigation, built during the Communist era. Read More: Rediscovering Albania: A Photographer’s Tribute to His Homeland. All experts were amazed by the complexity and sheer size of the river system and every expertise found something at the Vjosa – species, habitat types, dynamic river processes – that has been long lost on all regulated rivers … “It is not the time for extensive new projects in the power plant sector over the next few years. Wind farms are smart scaling,” he says. The Vjosa ist the last big wild river in Europe, outside Russia. The river Vjosa in Tepelena, Albania – ‘the last big wild river in Europe’. EUR 550 m of Losses from Dams on Vjosa River Current Event Monday, December 21, 2020 The construction of hydropower plants (HPP) on Vjosa River is estimated to causes an economic damage of not less than Euro 550 million in of Albania, the confederation of Albanian industries, Konfindustria, said on Sunday, citing studies of some of the most specialized international institutions. The river Vjosa is the location of a large dam project that will threaten the whole area, destroying the homes and farmland of people that have lived there for generations. All Rights Reserved. The village of Kute will be one of those that are most impacted by the planned Pocem hydropower plant. Rok Rozman, a Slovenian Olympic rower, biologist and environmental campaigner, hoists a kayak covered in dozens of signatures protesting the dam, and heaves it over the heads of the police line protecting the building. The Vjosa river runs through the forest-covered slopes of Greece’s Pindus mountains to Albania’s Adriatic coast. Projects like wind and solar farms are modularized and can be scaled to the exact amount needed or that is economical. Along its entire course of over 270 kilometers – from its source in the Greek mountains to the Adriatic Sea – it is untamed and free flowing. Further, Wolfgang Anzengruber, the head of Verbund, Austria’s largest energy provider, has said that developing more clean energy development projects in the Balkans no longer makes sense, since a swarm of solar and wind projects in Germany has glutted the European market with cheap, clean power, even as the region’s economy takes a hit post-Brexit. Today, the stunning 270km stretch of Albania’s Vjosa River remains untamed, free-flowing and untouched by man. +++ Impacts of hydropower projects for nature, people and coastal region to be calculated +++The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), together with the Polytechnic University of Tirana, have started an assessment of the sediment transport in the Vjosa river in Albania. Funding will go to the development of tourism industry, infrastructure, solar and wind energy production, agriculture, agro-industry, wastewater treatment, solid waste, etc., to the benefit of all residents of the region and the national economy. The Letter was published two days before World Rivers Day which is celebrated worldwide on September 22nd. Please attempt to sign up again. About 150 Local NGOs and International Organizations, have addressed a letter to Prime Minister of Albania Mr. Edi Rama, regarding the urgent need to protect the Vjosa River, which is considered to be the last free-flowing river in Europe. The proposed 45-m (147 ft) Pocem dam near Kuta represents just one of nearly 1,400 new small and large hydroelectric projects planned across the Balkans, as countries like Albania, Serbia and Macedonia rush to cash in on a flood of investment in green energy. 12 Mär, 2015 By admin. While the U.S. now gets around 13 percent of its energy from renewables, the E.U. The EBRD has directly or indirectly financed between 16 and 19 projects in protected areas, the bank tells TIME, adding that the projects in protected areas have not had a significant impact. According to data published by ‘Save the Blue Heart of Europe’, a campaign launched by two international NGOs, the Albanian government plans to build over 400 hydropower plants across the country, including eight dams on the Albanian stretch of the Vjosa River and 23 hydropower plants on its tributaries [3]. At the same time, 78 percent of the respondents oppose the construction of dams on the Vjosa (14% neutral, 8% in favor of dams). Join us. Dam construction currently constitutes the major detrimental threat of this area. But it is definitely something that needs to be taken into account.”. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Globally, in 2015, both generating capacity and investment increased to an unprecedented level, reaching $286 billion, according to the Renewables Global Status Report. Please try again later. The Vjosa River at a Crossroad – Dam Tsunami or National Park? Its total length is about 272 kilometres (169 mi), of which the first 80 kilometres (50 mi) are in Greece, and the remaining 192 kilometres (119 mi) are in Albania. “It’s a binary decision. According to this paper, the last big wild river of Europe is at risk of complete destruction. Together with its tributaries, the Vjosa provides a dynamic, near-natural ecosystem that is without par in Europe. Construction costs typically run more than 90 percent over than their budgets, says Flyvbjerg, based on his analysis of 245 large dam projects in 65 countries. And in the case of some privately funded projects, concessions have been given as election year pork. Of these, around 200 new projects have been finished and another 113 are under construction. The construction of hydropower plants (HPP) on Vjosa River is estimated to causes an economic damage of not less than Euro 550 million in of Albania, the confederation of Albanian industries, Konfindustria, said on Sunday, citing studies of some of the most specialized international institutions. “With big dams its an either/or,” he says. o Vjosa hosts high values of European biodiversity. In the EU, 25.4 percent of primary energy production comes from renewables, reports EuroStat. The Vjosa river in Albania is one of the last intact natural rivers in Europe outside Russia. We’re supporting local activists and adventure guides fighting to stop the crazy plans to dam the River Vjosa in Albania, the last free-flowing wild river in Europe. “Even without considering environmental impacts, big dams are bad business,” says Flyvbjerg, “and if you include the environmental impacts, that conclusion would be even worse.”, Read More: Germany’s Nuclear Cutback Is Darkening European Skies. You can unsubscribe at any time. Flyvbjerg takes a similar view, but for different reasons. Of 35,000 km (21,747 miles) of Balkan rivers assessed by conservationist groups, 30 percent were found to be “pristine” and 50 percent were only “moderately modified.” These rivers are home to around 70 endemic species of fish, and the river basins are home to critically endangered species like the Balkan lynx. “We talk about smart scaling and dumb scaling. The Kalivaç project was the first hydropower plant that was issued on the Vjosa river in 1997. The conservation organization EcoAlbania, Riverwatch and EuroNatur, together with 38 affected residents, filed a … Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our. “About 25 years ago this was more or less the North Korea of Europe,” he adds, speaking of the country’s isolationist communist dictatorship. Today, the international NGOs Riverwatch and EuroNatur, together with their local partner EcoAlbania, are presenting a paper, which for the first time reveals the full extent of the threat to the Vjosa catchment area. An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. The construction of the dam … “Does it mean one should stop all hydropower projects that are in the pipeline? In order to bridge the knowledge gap, about 30 scientists from 4 countries and various expertise participated in one week of research in April 2017 on the previously almost unexplored Vjosa river in Albania – in the area of the planned Poçem dam. The Vjosa or Aoös originates in northwestern Greece near Metsovo. sources 44 percent from green power, and demand continues to grow. “This is the last big free flowing river [system] in Europe,” Rozman tells TIME, the day before the protest on May 20. The Vjosa is reputed to be the last big wild river in Europe, outside Russia. That would not be clever in a time with too much energy,” speaking out in March. FILE - A man jumps into a spring where it meets the Vjosa River in the Kelcyre Gorge, Albania, June 24, 2019. The data was presented at the International Forum on Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Vjosa River Basin organized by Konfindustria. Albania’s government has set in motion plans to dam the Vjosa … The Albanian government commissioned a Turkish company with the construction of a large dam. Currently around 1,355 new hydroelectric projects are planned, under construction or completed. It is fed by several tributaries, such as the Voidomatis, Sarantaporos, Drino and Shushicë. Inside Infectious Diseases Hospital amid Coronavirus Outbreak, President's Message for RAI 1, Together We Will Succeed, DP Accuses PM of Ignoring Albanians Living in Survival Conditions, Economy Can Be Recovered again, but the Dead Can't Be Brought Back, Eagle Forces Respond Positively to Doctors' Call for Blood Donation, American Citizens: April 1st May Be Last Flight from Tirana. But it is not just the environment that could suffer. Of that, hydropower makes up 16.5 percent, wind provides 11.1 percent and solar accounts for 6.1 percent. NGOs uncover: 33 hydropower plants projected ++ Austrian and Italian companies involved ++ New initiative supports national park idea. While clean energy projects spawned by climate change could generate needed foreign revenue for countries like Albania, rising temperatures pose a significant threat to the profitability of the projects, since a hotter atmosphere is projected to deplete water reserves in Mediterranean countries. The Kalivac dam project is the biggest threat to this ecosystem – a project with a dam wall of approximatively 50 meters high, that would destroy the Vjosa in one blow. He hopes a compromise can be found between the natural flow of the river and economic gain, but, he says, “How can this happen? The Vjosa is the one of the last big free-flowing rivers in Europe. Albania is looking to dam the Vjosa, Europe's last wild river, in an effort to develop clean power. 2018 is the last chance to save the Vjosa River. IUCN – potential for a National Park “What is a village without its fields? Today, the international NGOs Riverwatch and EuroNatur, together with their local partner EcoAlbania, are presenting a paper, which for the first time reveals the full extent of the threat to the Vjosa catchment area. By signing up you are agreeing to our, Watch People Surf on a River Thanks to Europe's 'Supertide', Why 'The Great Gatsby' Now 'Belongs to the People', Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know now on politics, health and more, © 2021 TIME USA, LLC. o Vjosa and its tributaries are an unique ecosystem of European importance. The Vjosa River is one of Europe’s last living wild rivers. The Aoös (Greek: Αώος) or Vjosë (Albanian: [ˈvjɔsə]) is a river in northwestern Greece and southwestern Albania. July 14, 2016 July 14th, 2016, Poçem, Mallakastër. “These will have to be weighed in each instance against each other,” says Denk. The abolition of HPP projects on Vjosa River will create the conditions for the safe withdrawal of hundreds of millions of Euro of international funding. Environmental impact assessments should have caused some of the river projects to be halted, “but unfortunately, they did a very bad job,” Dedej says, sitting in his small office at the end of a dimly lit corridor in the Environment Ministry. On the shore of the river, President Ilir Meta used the opportunity to promote the idea of a Vjosa National Park, instead of damming the river: "I am in favor of a national park. Kayaking on the Vjosa River New river-based ventures are springing up, such as the Albanian Adventure Resort on the River Osum near Çorovoda, which will … The walls of the stalled Kalivac dam rise in the background, cut into the living rock of the surrounding hills. The village overlooks the Vjosa River as it snakes its way north to the sea. Its entire course of over 270 kilometers is untamed and free-flowing, characterized by beautiful canyons, braided river sections, oxbows, meandering stretches, and islands covered with vegetation. The Vjosa River at a Crossroad – Dam Tsunami or National Park? Strong political lobbies of the EU, academics, scientists of well-known international and domestic universities, the diplomatic corps, etc., have continuously demanded from the Albanian governments the protection of the Vjosa River from the construction of HPPs. “This is a clear message: the people of Albania want a national park and no dams on the Vjosa, and the government should listen to them”, concludes Olsi Nika from EcoAlbania. We are still on level 0, even -1, at the moment.” But the people from Kuta, a village deeply rooting in agriculture, won’t stop fighting for their way of life. Ironically, the last free flowing river in Europe could be destroyed in the scramble to benefit economically from efforts to slow climate change through renewable energy. There is much at stake, as Balkan rivers are some of Europe’s last wild waterways. Konfindustria urged the Albanian government to start the work for the official proclamation of the entire Vjosa River basin as a National Park according to international standards. The paddlers slap the hulls of their candy colored kayaks with open palms, sending deep thunks bouncing off the walls of the Albanian prime minister’s offices in Tirana, the capital. But activists worry about the impact The push for green power can hurt the environment Hydropower projects, specifically large dams, could end up bankrupting the delicate economies of the Balkans, says Bent Flyvbjerg, chair of Major Program Management at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School. Residents of the Vjosa valley, mainly from Kuta village protested today against the construction of Poçem hydro-power by blocking the national road Levan-Tepelenë near Poçem … Albanian PM Rama: Vjosa River to Remain Free of Dams in Albania Posted on 30 September 2020 Last week Edi Rama, the Prime Minister of Albania, reacted to the statement of Albanian President Ilir Meta who supported the establishment of the Vjosa National Park. Cities and towns including Ersekë, Përmet, Gjirokastër, Tepelenë, Mallakastër, Fier and Vlorë are located in the Vjosa catchment in Albania. And activists say those loans are sometimes based on shoddy environmental impact assessments. We will vigorously fight against this project and for a dam-free Vjosa!”, says Olsi Nika from EcoAlbania and coordinator of the Vjosa campaign in Albania. Refusing to grant permit for the Kalivaç hydropower dam, Albanian politicians spoke out in favor or proclamating Vjosa National Park, the first European wild river national park. “There is a lot of corruption inside of this process.”, Read More: Why Climate Change Could Hurt Power Production. At a time when dams are slowly being removed in the U.S., a surge of interest in renewable power has Balkan governments scrambling to harness the power of their rivers. However, this natural treasure is at great risk. The dam projects on the Vjosa are part of a much larger building program of hydroelectric dams in the Balkans (see the map). The area is rich farmland, fed with minerals and sediment from the free flowing Vjosa River. © Copyright 1995 - 2021, All rights reserved. When the Albanian government commissioned a Turkish company with the construction of a large dam, the coalition of conservation under the leadership of EuroNatur, together with 38 affected residents, filed a lawsuit against this project. Sitting with TIME in a lush garden near the Vjosa in southern Albania, he explains why the demonstration is needed. Rediscovering Albania: A Photographer’s Tribute to His Homeland, Why Climate Change Could Hurt Power Production, Germany’s Nuclear Cutback Is Darkening European Skies, Europe's Last Wild River Is About to Get Dammed. The protection of the Vjosa River from the construction of HPP dams has practically become one of the important unwritten conditions for the continuation of the political process of Albania's EU integration, Konfindustria said in a press release. A dam that is 99 percent finished won’t work. “This is a very conservative number. In September, Prime Minister Edi Rama said that the government decided to cancel plans for the construction of HPPs on the Vjosa River, accompanied by the welcome decision not to issue the environmental permit for the Kalivac HPP. Chants of “No dams!” join the thumping, as nearly a hundred residents of Kuta, an ancient village threatened with flooding by a proposed dam project on the Vjosa River, join the demonstration. 8 dams are planned along the Vjosa itself while 23 additional HPPs are projected on its tributaries – 4 of which are already finished while another 4 are under construction. The slogan “Vjosa No Dams” was displayed in large letters on the grass as singers in traditional dress welcomed the kayakers. Following the inauguration of the Vjosa Research Center in Tepelena, the scientists embarked on a boat trip on the Vjosa River. “They are still trying to tell people that this is green energy, that they are helping the locals, saving the environment, but this is all that is left,” says Rozman. o The hydropower projects are the main threat to … The river runs 272 km (169 miles) from the mountains of northern Greece through Albania, and is the last undammed river system in all of Europe outside of the scantly-populated Russian Arctic. Dam projects threaten Vjosa. No. The Vjosa River is widely regarded as Europe’s last wild river. Vjosa is considered an asset not only of Albania, but of the whole of Europe due to its extraordinary natural resources, Konfindustria noted. The real exposure is much higher than that,” considering that construction debts are often in foreign currency, projects take a long time to deliver (more than eight years on average, and often more than a decade) and that currencies often fluctuate in fragile economies. The Vjosa/Aoos River, wild and free Located in the transboundary area of Albania and Greece, the Vjosa/Aoos River is one of Europe’s last wild rivers. Standing on top of a high ridge overlooking the ancient stone hamlet, Taulant Hazizaj, who farms nearly 4,000 olive trees, sweeps his brawny weightlifter’s arm from the Vjosa over a rich bottomland of shaggy wheat fields, neat vineyards and pastures filled with sheep. The wave of dam and small hydropower projects has received much of its funding from large multilateral development banks like the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC). All the banks say they are interested in transparency and willing to work with BankWatch—while defending the need for further investment. “One shouldn’t forget where Albania came from,” says Christoph Denk, head of EBRD’s Albania office. o Vjosa is the last big free-flowing river left in Europe. Could Amsterdam's New Economic Theory Replace Capitalism? Another kayaker catches it and tries to run it up the steps of the offices to place it on the prime minister’s doorstep, but is roughly stopped by police. You’re not going to be able to see the fields anymore,” he says, describing the extent of the reservoir that will form behind the Pocem dam. O n a blue-sky day on the Vjosa River, a kayak glides by a dam construction site at Kalivac, a small town in a wild Albanian valley filled with hidden mom-and-pop marijuana fields. Those numbers were vetted by BankWatch. “The proclamation of the Vjosa River Basin along its entire length from the border with Greece to the Adriatic Sea, as a protected area with the status of "National Park" would dispel the doubts publicly expressed by international institutions that we are dealing only with tactical withdrawals of the government before the elections of April 25, 2021 for the non-construction of HPP dams on the Vjosa River and not a final decision,” Konfindustria noted. The IFC, which has invested €116 million in hydropower projects in Albania, estimates that the country only uses 30-35 percent of its hydropower potential, highlighting a “clear need for for Albania to increase its production and energy security.” And while both banks see a need for energy diversification across the Balkans, Denk, of EBRD, admits that poor rainfall can drop hydropower production from around 85 percent, to “much below” 50 percent, highlighting risks to the hydroelectric sector cause by fluctuations brought on by climate change. Environmentalists refer to the Vjosa as the last free-flowing river … Its drainage basin is 6,706 km (2,589 sq mi) and its average discharge is 195 m /s (6,900 cu ft/s). The 25th September marks a day of success for one of the last pristine rivers in the Balkans. Joint press release by EuroNatur, Riverwatch and EcoAlbania. Because Albania suffers from a serious trade deficit—exporting 27.1 percent as a proportion of its GDP, versus imports of 44.3 percent in 2015, according to the World Bank—Denk says that green energy generated cheaply for export “is a strength, and one that the country, I think, legitimately would pursue to utilize.” But he says it is up to the Albanian government to weigh whether an individual hydroelectric project is more important than saving a section of river and the livelihood of thousands of villagers. While the Albanian government wants to build dams on the river – starting with the Kalivaç dam – the alternative vision is to establish Europe’s first Wild River National Park. A boy slaps a horse to get it into the fast-moving waters of the Vjosa River to swim it to the other side in May 2016. NGOs uncover: 33 hydropower plants projected ++ Austrian and Italian companies involved ++ New initiative supports national park idea. 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