+++ THIS PAGE IS REGULARLY UPDATED +++ Albania’s unique Vjosa Delta is under immense pressure. Recent developments show that, despite its protected status, infrastructure projects are currently being pushed through on a massive scale, which could irreversibly destroy one of Europe’s most valuable coastal ecosystems. This also contravenes the conditions for Albania’s accession to the EU.
Webinar | The Vjosa Delta at Risk: Background and Perspectives on the Flamingo Revolution in Albania
On 29 June, we hosted a webinar where we discussed the latest developments in Albania with EuroNatur’s Executive Director Gabriel Schwaderer, EuroNatur Head of Programme Annette Spangenberg and Zydjon Vorpsi from our Albanian partner organisation PPNEA. Were you unable to attend? No problem – you can watch the recording of the webinar here.
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The protests in Albania (and elsewhere in the world) are still ongoing. In a major feature, Balkan Insight profiles the leading figures of the Flamingo Revolution. Get to know some of the people behind the protests!
06/17/2026
On 17 June, the European Parliament adopted its annual report on Albania’s progress towards EU accession. In doing so, the European Parliament emphasised more clearly than ever before just how crucial nature conservation is and that compliance with EU standards must be ensured throughout the accession process.
Press release of Albanian 18 NGOs, including PPNEA, Ecoalbania, Lumi, AOS
Environmental Civil Society Organizations Boycott Ministry of Environment Consultation Processes Until the Repeal of Amendments to the Protected Areas Law
Tiranë, 12 June 2026, Environmental Civil Society Organizations express their clear position that they cannot participate in consultation processes organized by the Ministry of Environment as long as Law No. 21/2024 amending the Protected Areas Law remains in force. This law has opened the way for developments and interventions in areas that should have the highest level of environmental protection in the country.
Following sustained national and international protests, construction work at the Vjosa Delta was suspended, and the construction fence was taken down.
06/07/2026
As part of the EU accession negotiations, the European Commission is urging the Albanian government to strictly adhere to European nature conservation standards. It has warned that the current construction work in the Vjosa Delta could jeopardise the closure of Environment Chapter 27. Albania should act immediately and reverse the 2024 amendments to the Law on Protected Areas, amongst other things. (Source: POLITICO)
The protests are having an impact!
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The map shows the current construction work in the Vjosa Delta on the Albanian coast. Also visible: the runway of the future Vlora Airport (centre of the image)
EuroNatur is monitoring the current situation in the Vjosa Delta with great concern. Whilst the construction of Vlora Airport has been encroaching on the protected area and destroying valuable natural habitats for years, a second phase of large-scale environmental destruction is now beginning in the Vjosa Delta: bulldozers are clearing coastal forests, levelling dunes and opening up previously untouched habitats. And all this for luxury resorts. These are now to be built on the Zvërnec peninsula. Explore the interactive map on Google maps.
In 2024, Albania changed its Law on Protected Areas, which weakened important safeguards. This opened the door for large infrastructure projects, including luxury tourism, within protected areas. In fact, the government has promised to reverse these changes by the end of 2027 under EU accession benchmarks. It was also agreed that all projects would be planned and implemented in accordance with EU Environmental Impact Assessment requirements.
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Together with our Albanian partner organisation PPNEA (Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania) and Riverwatch, we have been working tirelessly for many years to protect the Vjosa Delta. Our joint efforts have helped to raise public awareness of the ecological importance of this region and to monitor political processes critically.
Our work in the Vjosa Delta is characterised by close collaboration with local stakeholders, scientific expertise and international networking. Together with PPNEA, we document the impacts of construction projects, advocate for effective protection status and contribute our expertise to national and European decision-making processes, because one thing is clear: In our view, what is currently happening in the Narta Lagoon is unlawful, as the construction work is taking place without any publicly disclosed permits and without an environmental impact assessment. In this regard, we also expect the European Union to take a clear stance. So far, only a few members of parliament have commented on the current developments in Albania.
Agreements made with the EU are being trampled underfoot by the Albanian government. The EU must now urgently increase pressure on the government in Tirana to ensure that the destruction of nature in one of Europe’s most important natural areas is stopped immediately.
Gabriel Schwaderer, EuroNatur Executive Director
A clear stance: non-violence and dialogue
In light of the escalating situation on the ground, we are receiving reports of growing tensions. EuroNatur’s position is clear: we call on all those involved to engage in non-violent resistance and to act with restraint. At the same time, we condemn all forms of violence – regardless of which side it may come from.
Sustainable nature conservation and environmental protection can only succeed through dialogue and on the basis of the rule of law. Intimidation, escalation and violence endanger not only people, but also the chances of finding constructive solutions.
The beauty and vulnerability of the Vjosa Delta
Act now: ensure the protection of the Narta Lagoon
Current developments make it clear that the protection of the Narta Lagoon must be urgently strengthened. We demand:
an immediate halt to all construction projects threatening nature in and around the lagoon
consistent compliance with national and international conservation obligations
transparent decision-making processes involving civil society
long-term strategies for the conservation of the entire Vjosa Delta
EuroNatur, together with PPNEA, will continue to do everything in its power to protect this unique natural area.
Demonstrations have been taking place daily in Albania since the end of May;they now go by the name “Flamingo Revolution” and their activities extend far beyond mere nature conservation. The images provide a good insight into the dimension of the protests:
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The long road to the national park – and its gradual dismantling
2010/11
The discovery of a gem
Scientist Ulrich Schwarz and his team are carrying out hydroanalyses in the Balkans. In Albania, they come across a river that is largely unknown in Central Europe and remains completely unspoilt – the Vjosa. However, plans are already in place to build ten hydroelectric power stations on the river. The following year, EuroNatur and Riverwatch launch the ‘Save the Blue Heart of Europe’ campaign.
Local mayors and residents living along the river hold their first press conference on the banks of the Vjosa and appeal to Prime Minister Edi Rama to reject the dam plans and establish a Vjosa National Park instead. The Vjosa enters the international media spotlight for the first time.
4/2017
Biodiversity on the Vjosa
An international scientific survey of biodiversity in and around the Vjosa is carried out. Several ‘Science Weeks’ on the Vjosa and its largest tributaries follow in subsequent years. The studies resulting from these events reveal just how astonishing the biodiversity of the entire river ecosystem is. There are even discoveries of previously unknown species – strong arguments in favour of strict protection for the Vjosa.
5/2017
Legal victory
Der Verwaltungsgerichtshof in Tirana entscheidet zugunsten unserer Partnerorganisation EcoAlbania und Anrainern, das umstrittene Wasserkraftprojekt Poçem zu stoppen. Das ist ein großer Erfolg für EuroNatur und unsere Kampagnenpartner, der zeigt, wie wichtig die Hilfe von Rechtsanwälten im Kampf für die Vjosa ist.
The first concert in support of the Vjosa (and other Balkan rivers) takes place in Tirana. Prominent singers such as Eda Zari raise their voices and demand: “Hands off the Vjosa!”. In the years that follow, the “Artists for Balkan Rivers” initiative sees numerous artists from almost every country in South-Eastern Europe getting involved with creative contributions to the “Blue Heart of Europe”.
On World Water Day, the words “Vjosa National Park Now” are displayed in large letters against the backdrop of world-famous landmarks in Paris, Berlin, Brussels and Tirana. The campaign aims to draw the attention of leading politicians and members of parliament in the EU and in Albania, calling on them to make the Vjosa Europe’s first wild river national park. Shortly before this, several nature conservation organisations, including EuroNatur, submitted a detailed proposal for the creation of the Vjosa National Park to the Albanian Ministry of the Environment.
6/2022
A decisive step
The Minister for Tourism and the Environment, Mirela Kumbaro, and the Managing Director of Patagonia, Ryan Gellert, sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in establishing the Vjosa National Park. EuroNatur played a key role in this; it is the decisive step towards the declaration of the national park.
3/2023
Proclamation of the Vjosa Wild River National Park
The joy was immense: on 15 March 2023, the Vjosa in Albania was declared Europe’s first wild river national park. However, the speech given by Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama at the official opening raised eyebrows: Edi Rama showed no intention of backing down from the plans for an airport in the Vjosa delta. This meant that the Vjosa National Park was being undermined by the government in Tirana from day one.
2/2024
A Fatal Change to the Law
At the end of February 2024, the Albanian Parliament passed an amendment to the law that renders the very purpose of all the country’s protected areas meaningless: from then on, major infrastructure projects in national parks or nature reserves no longer required approval from the protected areas authority. Instead, responsibility lies with a committee chaired by Prime Minister Edi Rama. EuroNatur warned of the consequences of this legislative change from the outset and, together with its partners, approached the relevant EU Commissioners. Unfortunately, the issue was not given high priority within the EU at that time.
The Vjosa Wild River National Park encompasses not only the Vjosa itself, but also its main tributaries, including the Shushica. However, to enable a tourism project on the coast, water was to be diverted from the Shushica, and numerous pipes were laid to reroute the river. On 24 February 2024, local residents, mayors, activists and lawyers protested against the government’s plans; three months later, around 1,500 people from the affected communities presented Edi Rama with an unusual petition in the form of one of the diversion pipes. It was all in vain: the diversion of water from the Shushica is set to begin officially in August 2026.
On 8 May, shortly before the parliamentary elections in Albania, the government in Tirana staged a spectacle involving test flights over Vlora International Airport. Although the airport – which, in our view, was built illegally – is still a long way from being operational, the destruction caused by its construction not far from the Vjosa Delta is enormous. From today’s perspective, the protests against the airport’s construction can be seen as a foretaste of the Flamingo Revolution.
In the Narta Lagoon, excavators, bulldozers and lorries are beginning to clear coastal forests, remove dunes and cut new access roads through previously untouched habitats. This work, which is destroying the natural environment, is being carried out without transparent authorisation procedures, environmental impact assessments or public consultation. This constitutes a serious breach of national nature conservation regulations and Albania’s key commitments within the EU accession process.
5/2026
Massive protests
When EuroNatur and its partners learn of the goings-on in the Narta Lagoon, we publicise the case. The first protesters set out to demonstrate against the construction work on site. Tempers flare at a construction fence erected at short notice, and the Albanian security forces crack down heavily on the demonstrators. This incident is the final straw across the country. Within a very short time, thousands of people take to the streets in Tirana, soon demanding not only an end to the construction work but also the resignation of Edi Rama.
6/2026
Publicity and initial successes
The protests have an impact: in mid-June, the construction work is suspended and the construction fence removed. More and more international media outlets are taking notice of the events in Albania – which soon come to be known as the ‘Flamingo Revolution’ – and are reporting on them critically. The European Union, too, is now publicly insisting on the withdrawal of the controversial legislative amendment of 2024.
