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The environmental battle to save the Blue Heart of Europe

The Mratinje dam in Montenegro has disrupted the course of the Piva River - Patagonia
The Mratinje dam in Montenegro has disrupted the course of the Piva River - Patagonia

It may or may not surprise you - it is unlikely to be something you’ve even given a moment’s thought - but there is just one free-flowing river in Europe, untouched by human construction or influence. 

The Vjosa begins life as the Aoos in Greece’s Pindus mountains, where it crosses into Albania, winding through the Balkan mountains for 169 miles, before dispersing into the Adriatic. It is at the centre of what is known as the Blue Heart of Europe, where the river’s 2,500 square miles of basin paint the landscape with tributaries.

The Kalivac Dam on the Vjosa lay unfinished for 20 years. Last year, its construction was cancelled - Credit: Patagonia
The Kalivac Dam on the Vjosa lay unfinished for 20 years. Last year, its construction was cancelled Credit: Patagonia

Now the region is under threat.

On the Aoos, named variously after the Greek goddess Aphrodite’s mortal lover and the first king of Cyprus, alone, some 36 hydropower dams are planned, many within the boundaries of national parks. Across the Balkan region as a whole, from Slovenia, south down to Greece, 1,003 already exist, 188 and being built, and 2,798 have been proposed.

Campaigners warn the schemes, financed by global banks, will cause irreparable damage to the rivers, the wildlife and local communities, as well as stifling a blossoming tourist trade.

River Vjosa, Albania
River Vjosa, Albania

“They put the river into the pipe, they channel it into a flow for power and for kilometres they dry the river completely,” explains Mihela Hladin Wolfe, director of environmental initiatives at clothing brand Patagonia, which is helping campaign against the dams and has released a documentary film, Blue Heart, about the issue. “They change the whole water scheme of the region.

“Hydro is an old technology. There are lower impact [energies] out there. Nature is slowly disappearing because of the decisions we are making.”

The Idbar Dam on the Bascica River in Bosnia and Herzegovina - Credit: Patagonia
The Idbar Dam on the Bascica River in Bosnia and Herzegovina Credit: Patagonia

Wolfe and Patagonia were partly inspired to get involved in the battle as staff witnessed first hand the damage done by hydroelectric schemes in their home state of California.

“Just behind our office there is a river that was damned in the early 20th century, blocking the whole watershed so that the river doesn’t reach the sea any more,” says Wolfe.

The team then looked at a global map of dam developments. “We saw the red dots on the map. The [Balkan] region would have chicken pox.”

In the US, the narrative regarding dams has changed, so much so that the campaign to pull down “deadbeat dams” has gathered significant momentum. In America only three per cent of the nation’s 80,000 dams generate electricity. The remainder impact water quality, block the movement of nutrients and sediment and destroy fish and wildlife habitats, without yield.

In the Balkans, where the Danube salmon could be driven to extinction and survival of the endangered Balkan lynx in Macedonia threatened, Wolfe says such lessons are yet to be learnt.

The rivers of the Balkans...

balkan rivers
balkan rivers

 ...and the dams that threaten them

balkan dams
balkan dams

“There’s something going on and not a lot of people know about it,” says Wolfe. “In the Balkans, the biodiversity is huge. [These dams] will take the river away from people who have lived next to the water for centuries.”

Albania, like many of the Balkan states, is experiencing a boom period in visitor numbers, with travellers drawn to raw beauty of its mountains, valleys, forests, rivers and lakes. Since 2000, tourism arrivals to the former socialist republic has multiplied by nearly 13 times to 4.1 million. Many regard the country as the Mediterranean's last “secret”.

“We were already working with a rafting company in Albania, and they contacted us and said the river is under threat,” says Alex Narracott, founder of Much Better Adventures, which runs several trips to Albania, as well as Kosovo, Croatia and Slovenia.

“We were talking about the issue and the campaigning that has been happening locally and looking at how we can raise awareness.”

Much Better, too, has produced a short film about the Vjosa, called Adventures Not Dams, “calling out international banks for funding hydropower plants in national parks” and the “crazy plan” to dam the Vjosa. According to a report by Bankwatch, some €727m (£632m) has been invested in such schemes by commercial banks.

The tour operator wants to see the money invested in alternative power sources, such as solar, and adventure tourism.

“This is a story that’s telling itself over and over around the world,” says Narracott. “Tourism has a lot to offer an economy in terms of longevity, whereas the dams are disruptive to communities. The local economy tends to benefit very little from these kinds of projects.”

Reassuringly, victory against hydroelectric schemes in the region has a precedent.

Zamo Spathara, who has been rafting on the Osumi River in southern Albania since 1985, successfully fought the construction of a hydroelectric power plant in the river’s canyons, gaining the support of the government by taking prime minister Edi Rama on a rafting trip.

Top 5 | Things you didn't know about Albania
Top 5 | Things you didn't know about Albania

“Big pipes were brought here in the Bigaz Waterfall to stream the water to the plant and destroy everything,” says Spathara.

“One of the most remarkable attractions of the canyon, the Bigaz Waterfall would have been destroyed forever.

“We stand against building in protected areas such as this one. We are not against [hydro power plants] but we wish them to be built in areas that don't have tourism potential. Albania is a relatively small country so we need to protect the attractions and invest in tourism.”

Many of the region's waterfalls, such as this one on the Una river, would be at risk - Credit: Patagonia
Many of the region's waterfalls, such as this one on the Una river, would be at risk Credit: Patagonia

A decision on the dams is likely by the end of the year. Until then, Patagonia has begun a petition and Much Better Adventures will continue to work with the local communities to coordinate an opposition.

“This is a real opportunity for a flagship for the way we handle tourism,” says Narracott.

“This is our biggest challenge,” says Spathara. “We have to draw a line here.”