In his opinion piece, the Professor of Social Folklore of the University of Ioannina and ambassador of the efforts for the conservation of Aoos/Vjosa for decades, Vassilis Nitsiakos, stresses the need to consider Aoos/Vjosa as a single ecosystem from its sources to its estuary and to protect it institutionally in Greece, following the brave example of the Albanian Government, which declared Vjosa a National Park in March 2023. Moreover, it reminds us that local communities have never remained silent to any threat the river has faced throughout time. So today, once again, local communities are being organized and reacting to the current threat to the river ecosystem posed by the imminent construction of dozens of hydroelectric dams in the river basin.
“And while an international park was declared by Albania, which means the prohibition of any intervention in the entire river ecosystem, in Greece, despite the commitments of the government and the Prime Minister himself, nothing has been done in this direction yet, resulting in the presence of various companies who are trying to “get their hands” on this treasure, while we are in an election period.
Local communities are reacting and organising their struggle to prevent this crime. They will win, as in previous cases of threats”. Read the full article by Vassilis Nitsiakos, here.