Serious environmental damage is currently taking place in the Vjosa-Narta protected area in Albania. Since the end of April, bulldozers and excavators have been operating in the core area of the protected landscape, clearing coastal forests, removing dunes and cutting new access roads through previously untouched habitats.
The Narta Lagoon is one of the key spots for migratory birds in Europe on the eastern Adriatic coast. It is also home to many other rare species of flora and fauna.
© Xhemal Xherri / PPNEA
With a large fleet of excavators, lorries and bulldozers, the Albanian government is pressing ahead with construction work in the Vjosa-Narta protected area.
© PPNEA
A bulldozer in a near-natural coastal forest: the destruction of nature is currently proceeding at a rapid pace.
© PPNEARadolfzell, Tirana. The environmentally destructive work being carried out in the Vjosa-Narta protected area in Albania is taking place without transparent approval procedures, environmental impact assessments or public participation. This constitutes a serious breach of national nature conservation regulations and key commitments made by Albania as part of the EU accession process.
When the environment chapter of the EU accession process was opened in September 2025, the EU and Albania agreed that the controversial amendment to Albania’s Protected Areas Act would be withdrawn by the end of 2027. It was also agreed that all projects would be planned and implemented in accordance with EU Environmental Impact Assessment requirements.
The current evidence suggests that the government in Tirana is unwilling to abide by this agreement. By amending the Protected Areas Act two years ago, the Albanian government has paved the way for reckless tourism expansion at the expense of its most precious natural heritage.
EuroNatur, together with Albanian and international partner organisations, is therefore calling for an immediate halt to construction, full transparency regarding permits, and a rigorous review of the case at the EU level.
“The ongoing construction work in an existing nature reserve not only endangers unique natural heritage but also undermines Albania’s credibility in the EU enlargement process,” says Gabriel Schwaderer, Executive Director of EuroNatur. “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.”
Background information:
- The Vjosa-Narta Protected Landscape forms part of the delta system of Vjosa-Shkumbin Rivers, the last remaining intact delta system in the Mediterranean. It is one of Europe’s most ecologically valuable regions and provides a habitat for more than 200 bird species as well as over 70 endangered species, including the strictly protected Mediterranean monk seal and sea turtles.
- The Vjosa gained widespread recognition in 2023, following a decade-long campaign by EuroNatur and its partner organisations Riverwatch and EcoAlbania. The river was designated Europe’s first wild river national park and protected by the Albanian government. At the same time, the construction of Vlora Airport was pushed ahead with.
Enquiries:
Christian Stielow, christian.stielow(at)euronatur.org, +49/7732 9272 15