The Vjosa, which flows 270 kilometers without barriers from the Pindus Mountains to the Adriatic Sea, is just one of many rivers in the Balkans region that is being threatened by a tidal wave of more than 2,700 new hydropower dam projects.
“Jo diga ne Pocem! Jo diga ne Pocem!”
The rallying cry repeated as anti-dam protestors, activists, kayakers and local people from the Vjosa River valley marched through the Albanian capital of Tirana on Friday, May 20th. Translation: “No dams in Pocem!” This protest, the final event of the 35-day Balkan Rivers Tour, marked the delivery of a “kayak petition” to the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, and demanded an end to new dam development on the pristine Vjosa River, including a major dam project near the village of Pocem.
Needless to say, it was my first anti-dam protest in Albania, and as I traveled with a team of Patagonia staff from our Europe and U.S. offices, it was inspiring to meet the local activists behind the event. For over a month, Rok Rozman, initiator of the Balkan Rivers Tour and former Slovenian Olympic rower, led a group of fellow paddlers on a voyage down 23 rivers, in 6 countries—nearly 390 kilometers total. Our aim? To bring greater awareness to the threats facing Balkan rivers, and to help others in Europe and around the world come to know the pristine and wild character of this place.As protesters gathered outside the offices of the Prime Minister, they were joined by local and international media representatives. While the heart of the protest was the energy of local people—mayors from all the towns in the Vjosa’s valley are against new dam development, and bus-loads of locals participated in the protest—there was also a strong international show of support. People from across Europe, the U.S. and the Balkans region raised their voices and their kayak paddles to chant with the locals. The strategy behind the Balkan Rivers Tour is international in nature, and it’s gathering momentum under the poetic campaign name: Save the Blue Heart of Europe.
Our Patagonia Europe team has been supporting this campaign through grants and communication efforts over the past year. We’ve been inspired by the people, natural beauty and incredible recreation opportunities of this region. Joining the group at the end of the Balkan Rivers Tour were several climbers and Patagonia ambassadors who are exploring the region for alpine and free climbing opportunities and seeing great potential for sport and adventure. Joining us were Zoe Hart, Norbert Sandner, Marko Prezelj, Luka Krajnc, Nastja Davidova, Arnaud Petit, Stéphanie Bodet and Jon Bracey.
This is a place where, unlike the rest of the continent, wild rivers still run free and local people are eager to see development and modernization that doesn’t flood and destroy their traditional lands. Eco-tourism and other forms of truly renewable energy represent the alternatives to dam development. As Ulrich Eichelmann, coordinator of the Save the Blue Heart of Europe campaign at Riverwatch, says of the Vjosa, “[This] is a world class river. At the very least, the Albanian government has to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment according to EU standards. We demand that the Albanian government deploy a group of internationally renowned experts to carry out the required scientific studies.”