Vjosa, the last wild river in Europe

The Vjosa in southern Albania is called the last wild river in Europe because the river is still virtually untouched by human intervention. In complete freedom, the water flows for 192 kilometers through wide meandering valleys and narrow gorges from the border with Greece where it rises in the Pindos Mountains to its mouth in the Adriatic Sea. For years there have been plans to dam the Vjosa for hydropower. The most recent plans envisage eight dams in the Vjosa and dozens of small dams in its tributaries. There is a lot of opposition to this in Albania, with the support of international environmental organizations and also from the European Parliament. Scientists have mapped the ecosystem of the Vjosa and found many species of animals, plants and insects of great biological value, some of which are virtually absent in Europe. The conclusion is that building dams in the Vjosa would be a serious blow to the biodiversity of one of the last rivers with an intact ecosystem of its own. People from the villages along the river also took action. In the village of Kutë in particular, residents have been protesting for years against the construction of a dam near the village. Together with the environmental group EcoAlbania, they had a preliminary success with the judge suspending construction of the dam because of major mistakes in the way the government tried to push the dam through. The residents of Kutë and surrounding villages are now awaiting the government's appeal. The ultimate goal of the actions is to give the entire Vjosa basin the highest protected status: a National Park. I traveled the entire course of the Vjosa, from the Greek border to its mouth, photographing both the river flowing through beautiful landscapes and residents of the village of Kutë who are completely dependent on the Vjosa. Many people believe that a national park would provide good opportunities for ecotourism. I saw that small initiatives are already being taken in this area, such as the construction of a guest house, a hiker's shop, canoe rental.