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Albania has recently established Europe’s first-ever wild river national park. This announcement holds immense significance for both nature activists and the global community. The Vjosa River, located in southern Albania, has now become a national park.
A natural haven
Home to over a thousand animals and plant species, the Vjosa River serves as a natural haven, hosting a diverse range of over a thousand animal and plant species. It stands as one of the few remaining wild rivers in Europe. A wild river, as described by the National Parks website, refers to a river in its natural, nearly untouched state. It remains unaffected by human water consumption and flows freely in its pristine condition.
The river, according to The World Economic Forum, flows for 270 kilometers, from Greece, through Albania and into the Adriatic Sea. As a wild river, there are no dams, power stations or any other man made interruptions in it at all. The park will include almost 13 thousand acres of land, crossing most of the body of the country, with thousands of people living in its surroundings.
This achievement is even more important than people may realize, as Albania gets most of their electricity from hydro power. The World Economic Forum explains that they had been planning on building 30 hydropower plants along the river, in order to meet the increasing demands of power. And thanks to the campaigning, they will now find another way to do that.
A symbol for the world
According to The Guardian, the Vjosa river has had a fragile ecosystem for years. But after almost ten years of campaigning, environmental NGOs achieved success. Now, Albania has agreed to safeguard the unique ecological and cultural heritage found along its rivers, ensuring their preservation for future generations.
Albania’s Minister of Tourism and Environment, Mirela Kumbaro Furxhi, considers the Vjosa a symbol of the history of Albania, reports Euro News. And it can now teach the lesson that there are ways of protecting nature’s assets and biodiversity.
This remarkable achievement showcases the country’s dedication to nature conservation and to the planet’s natural wonders. This milestone will hopefully invite and inspire others to continue to support initiatives that prioritize the well-being of the environment.
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