Following another call from actor Leonardo di Caprio to support the formation of the Vjosa National Park, three Albanian politicians have given their pledge.
Di Caprio, who has been outspoken on several occasions regarding the need to protect the Vjosa from the construction of hydropower plants, shared a video yesterday on Instagram and tagged Prime Minister Edi Rama, Chairman of the Democratic Party Lulzim Basha, Chairman of LSI Monika Kryemadhi and President Ilir Meta.
He called on people to do the same to pressure politicians to make a promise.
“The Vjosa River is the largest wild river in Europe”, he wrote, adding that it’s home to more than 1100 species of fish and “is important to people in Albania.”
Basha responded to the post by sharing it on his Instagram account.
Meta responded to the call on Twitter by saying “we love Vjosa and will protect her forever. Thanks and gratitude to Leonardo di Caprio for the inspiring solidarity.”
He added that he will not allow any “arbitrary decision-making for the construction of hydropower plants on the Vjosa River” prior to the upcoming elections.
Kryemadhi also reposted di Caprio’s video in support of its message.
Rama has not responded to the post as of the time of writing.
The Vjosa River is Europe’s last wild river which is so far, unaffected by humans. It is home to countless protected and endangered species that are protected under Albanian and international law.
Despite this, there are eight dams and 23 small HPPs planned along the river. The two power plants of Pocemi and Kalivac are the most concerning as they will flood thousands of hectares of the precious ecosystem, threatening species and displacing communities.
The contracts for the dams were awarded without transparency and were based on unsolicited bids.
According to a poll conducted by Patagonia, 94% of Albanians are in favor of the Vjosa receiving National Park status, thus protecting it from the construction of HPPs.
In an interview with Exit, CEO of Patagonia Ryan Gellert said that hydropower is not green, is not sustainable, and contributes to the extinction of flora and fauna and the displacement of humans.
He added that the concept of HPPs being environmentally friendly is outdated and “the negatives outweigh the benefits 100%.”
But the construction of the plants on the Vjosa will also come at a significant financial cost to the country. It’s estimated they will cost some EUR 500 million while bringing little in the way of return.
The European Commission has repeatedly expressed its opposition to the construction of hydropower plants.
The EP adopted in April 2016, a resolution on Albania, which talks, among other things, about the destruction of national parks by hydropower plants.
In September 2020, Prime Minister Edi Rama wrote that HPPs in Vjosa would not be built. Three months later, the National Council of the Territory (KKT), chaired by him, approved the new boundaries of the protected areas. The decision paved the way for the construction of HPPs in Poçem and Kalivaç despite his promise. They have not been constructed yet as the cases are still in court.
Patagonia has called on the government to lead the way globally in fighting back against hydropower and declaring the Vjosa as a national park. They said this is a chance for them to leave a unique legacy and set an outstanding example to the rest of the world.
So far, the government has not responded to Patagonia or the other organizations.
