Historic Vjosa River To Become A National Park In Albania To Protect Over 1,000 Species
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Albania has announced the Vjosa River as the first wild river national park in Europe after almost a decade of campaigning by environmental Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
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The Vjosa River flows for 168 miles between Greece's Pindus mountains through Albania to the Adriatic coast, and is a sanctuary to over 1,000 species of animals and plants, including the endangered Egyptian vulture as well as the critically endangered Balkan lynx.
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Albania has set an example for the rest of Europe by declaring the national park, even when the once-communist nation had previously planned for about 45 hydropower plants in the same region.
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The Vjosa River will be protected by a partnership between the Albanian government, international experts, NGOs, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and Patagonia, the outdoor gear company.
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The park aims to ensure that the Vjosa and its unique ecosystems are safeguarded.
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The park will be spread over 12,727 hectares (31,500 acres), and has been given IUCN category II park status, similar to that of a wilderness, so that dams and gravel extraction are banned.
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Albania's PM, Edi Rama, described the creation of the national park as a "truly historic moment" for nature, social, and economic development.
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The Albanian government hopes that the park will attract more visitors, as national parks receive 20% more tourists compared with non-protected areas.
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Boris Erg, director of the European office at IUCN, congratulated the Albanian administration for its leadership and ambition. Erg urged other governments to join in the region and beyond to show similar ambition and support to reach the vital goal of protecting 30% of the planet by 2030.
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