25 minutes agoPhoto from California reveals the Albanian “kucedra”, which is swallowing rivers
Periskopi(9 years ago)
(9 years ago)For the last four years, Oegger St. Nick, originally from California, has explored Albania, photographing its magnificent landscapes and learning about the complex history of this country in the Western Balkans, writes The Calvert Journal, specialising in travel and photography. He settled for the first time in Shkodra, [...]
It was placed for the first time in Shkodra, the largest northern city, on the border of Albania and Montenegro. The photograph then moved south, where he says: “is changed in the Mediterranean and has a strong Greek influence, with many Orthodox churches and minority villages speaking Greek”. Using Europe's last wild river, Vjosa, as a guide, the photograph soon found that clean and wild landscapes, as well as the river itself, were threatened by a proposed plant dam project. His photo series is called “Kucedra”, according to a dragon from Albanian folklore, and shows the urgency of preserving this virgin region.
Oegger St. Nick says that he accidentally discovered this site after reading a small article about the threat of the river.
The Vjosa flows through a valley near the village of Zepa, bordering Greece. The river flows without obstacles for 270km and flows into the Adriatic Sea, and many of its branches are in good condition, making it the last unscathed wild rivers system in Europe. Despite promises to turn Vjosa into a national park, eight hydropower projects have been proposed along it by the Albanian government.
The two rivers -- Drino's and Bence -- join Vjosa near the town of Tepelena. Construction is already under way in Banca and a pipeline that has diverted the river to an underground hydronergy station, while a project stuck in Calivac, nearby, has again announced the bids.
“Nature in Albania has been a great inspiration to me; it is so pure and wild, so I decided it was really important to raise awareness about Vjosa. The Dams in Vyo would harm this last example of an unscrambled river ecosystem in Europe, as well as change the course of life for people living there after floods, loss of agricultural land and deter tourists from visiting the country”, says the author in the article.
Permeti is a cultural centre in southern Albania, also considered for its traditional music, art and food. Vyosa is an integral part of the growing tourism industry in this area, bringing interested visitors to the shelfing and Kayaking. The locals worry that the trend towards the hydropower plant, which will have consequences for businesses that are dependent on the natural flow of the river.
Ecotourism has slowly begun to develop in this area, attracting walkers, shelfing and fishing.
The village of Kuta has been among the first to protest hydropower projects over Vjo. Construction of a proposed dam in Pochem's sources would overturn most of the agricultural area. The possibilities are limited in the village, and the poor quality route that connects it on the main highway prevents trade with other areas.
The author gives photos of some scientists from Germany and Austria, who are traveling by raft under Vjosa near Kuta, collecting water plants and animal samples to build an occasion to block dam construction near Pocem sources.
The dams on the river will have serious consequences for migraine fish, including endangered eels and other species that have already disappeared in Central Europe.
The author brings in some stories of local villagers, who complain that the construction of hydropower plants will disrupt the normal course of their lives and bring pictures of some wild - looking areas that would disappear from dam construction. /Monitor. al
