The Aoos/Vjosa River, with a length of 272 km, is one of the last wild rivers in Europe. With the exception of a single dam at its source, the Aoos/Vjosa flows uninterrupted for over 270 kilometers. Despite the presence of protected areas in both Greece and Albania, the river lacks a unified transboundary management framework—an absence that threatens its long-term protection.
The SPARC-Aoos project aims to strengthen policy advocacy for the conservation and restoration of the river, focusing on two main pillars:
- The promotion of the establishment of the Aoos/Vjosa Transboundary Wild River Park, and
- Setting an ecological flow regime at the Aoos Springs Dam, which currently disrupts the river’s natural flow and affects biodiversity and ecosystems.
To achieve these goals, the project includes:
- Expert analysis of political and legal pathways for transboundary cooperation,
- Systematic engagement with national authorities and local governments,
- Collaboration with local communities, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders,
- Targeted communication and public awareness activities.
Through this initiative, MedINA combines evidence-based policy advocacy with dynamic civil mobilisation, contributing decisively to the development of a pioneering model for transboundary river ecosystem management in Europe.
Through this project, MedINA combines evidence-based policy advocacy with dynamic civil engagement, contributing decisively to the development of a pioneering model for transboundary river ecosystem management in Europe.
SPARC-Aoos complements the project “Saving Europe’s Last Free-Flowing River – Aoos/Vjosa”, contributing to the broader goal of preserving the free flow of the Aoos River and its tributaries as a transboundary ecological corridor and a resource for sustainable development for the local community.