TIRANA, Oct. 18 – One year after the awareness concerts dedicated to protecting the river Valbonà« (“Don’t touch Valbona” ) and stopping waste from being imported to Albania (“No to waste import in Albania” ), famous Albanian artists make a comeback to the city’s main square, next to the National History Museum, to protect another river deemed Europe’s wild treasure – Vjosa.
The organizers’ statement, posted in Facebook, speaks of respect towards nature’s boundaries, appreciation of the gifts nature bestows upon us and the possibility of awareness through art. The following is communicated: “Art will not save the world and might not be able to repent the sins committed by decision-makers towards society, the earth, nature, water, or whichever uncertain life situation. Art can only provide a peaceful voice that provides awareness and activity towards our incorrigible collective decisions, for which each of us should fight, at the right time and moment. Respect and consideration of nature are the basis for a worthy life, in a worthy society.”
The Vjosa River has major social and cultural values. For the people living along its shore, Vjosa plays a vital role in their everyday lives, as it offers productive soil for the development of agriculture and kettle. The variety and richness of the Vjosa fish is an essential economic factor, which keeps local fishermen alive. Recreational tourism in Vjosa is gaining momentum especially in the last years, during which sports like rafting, padding and swimming are becoming famous. The existence of small businesses and ecotourism companies depend on Vjosa being wild. Besides all above-mentioned facts, the crystal-clear river has an emotional value for Albanians, who perceive it a cultural inheritance site.
Moreover, Vjosa is a European treasure and its biggest value can be found in the river’s integrity. The building of dams would destroy its unique ecosystem and lower the river’s potential to develop steady ecotourism in the region. In this context, Vjosa is the only wild river remaining in Europe. Friedrich Schiemer, of the Vienna University, has said the following about Vjosa: “For us, Vjosa is like finding a lucky island lost in time. In this paradise, we can study the universal values a wild river offers. No rivers like that exist in Europe.”
Momentarily, Vjosa – along with all rivers in the country – is threatened by Albania’s plan to build around 500 hydropower centrals. Ironically, Austrian and German researchers are advocating for the protection of Albanian rivers and expressing regret that majestic rivers such as the Danube, Rhein and Main have been built on to the point of no return. “We ask a lot of Albanians,” Schiemer added. “In the past, no one was genuinely interested about the wild state of rivers. When we built hydropower centrals and controlled rivers, we knew little about their complex dynamic. We want to prevent Albanians from committing the same mistakes we did in the past.”
This concert comes to support the “Save the blue heart of Europe” campaign, which is carried through by EcoAlbania, Riverwatch and EuroNatur, and it is sponsored by PATAGONIA and MAVA. More information can be found on the websites: www.ecoalbania.org and www.balkanrivers.net
