Friends of the Earth stands with Environmental centre for Development and Networking (EDEN), and the movement of people in Albania, against development projects in Vjosë-Narta and the destructive national legislation on protected areas.
The Vjosë-Narta area is one of Albania’s most important coastal ecosystems. It is part of the designated “Pishë Poro – Nartë” protected landscape and is also adjacent to the “Karaburun-Sazan” marine national park. The area holds exceptional ecological value and cultural heritage. It is an invaluable landscape nourished by balanced and harmonised interaction between local people and nature. This natural and social treasure is now at risk of extinction due to the threat posed by development plans for massive luxury resorts in the heart of its biodiversity.
The development project is estimated to cost $1.6bn and is linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, as well as billionaire Qatari investors. It’s intended to cover Sazan, Albania’s only island and a protected marine area. The plans stretch to the Vjosë-Narta area, with several luxury resorts proposed for Zvërnec, Pishë Poro, Darëzezë and the delta of the Vjosa river. Each of these areas are adjacent to one another and each one is a key area of coastal biodiversity. Though it is currently stalled, initial work began in May – heavy machinery began clearing pine forests and sand dunes, despite the emergence of unresolved questions over local land ownership. There are also reports that SPAK, Albania’s special anti-corruption prosecution office, has opened an investigation into the case, connecting suspicious and controversial investments with land ownership.
The plans for the resort have been formed within the wider context of highly contested amendments to the Albanian law on protected areas, proposed and adopted by the Albanian Parliament in 2024. This happened amid strong objections from academia and civil society organizations. Through use of the law, the government legalized high-end tourism development in protected areas, under the concept of ‘tourism of excellence’. Vjosë-Narta is now at risk of falling victim to a new legal framework which environmental organizations have argued could see fragile ecosystems destroyed for the sake of large-scale developments. Vjosë-Narta has become an example of the potential fate of all protected areas in Albania, a country highly noted for its natural richness.
It is also important to note that the EU Parliament has voiced its opposition, as well as calling for a repeal of the 2024 changes to Albanian law. EU environmental standards frequently fail people and ecosystems. The strong opposition from the EU Parliament, coming as Albania are applying for EU membership, underscores how destructive the Vjosë-Narta plans are and why they must be dropped.
Though initially it has received little media attention, the development plans have resulted in huge protests and displays of civic opposition – first beginning with local residents in the surrounding area but soon reaching the capital Tirana. Massive civic protests against the Albanian Government have passed their 29th day, with estimated numbers ranging from 20,000 to 200,000.
The protests against the Vjosë-Narta development make it clear that local communities must be consulted and that environmental legislation exists to protect both people and the planet, while enabling sustainable development. Such protections should not be weakened or circumvented to accommodate corporate interests, as we also recently witnessing in the current wave of EU deregulation targeting key environmental and social safeguards.
Friends of the Earth believes in a world where people live in harmony with nature and share the collective right to defend and nurture it. These rights are fundamentally opposed to billionaire developments, which destroy our living world to service the luxury of a few. The movement against the Vjosë-Narta development is representative of the movement of people around the world who are fighting to save our planet.
We echo EDEN’s call, supported by 95 civil society orgaisations, for the Albanian government to:
- Immediately repeal the provisions adopted through the amended Law on Protected Areas, Law No. 21/2024
- Launch a transparent and inclusive process for the full alignment of Law No. 81/2017 “On Protected Areas” with EU standards
- Ban the issuing of permits for new tourism and infrastructure developments in protected areas, until full alignment with EU and international standards is ensured
We call on people standing in solidarity with the movement against Vjosë-Narta plans to:
- Share this on social media
- Attend a solidarity protest in your city
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