Protecting the Vjosa River: The Sarandaporos River Science Week

A Science Week on the Sarandaporos River is set to begin this Friday, June 28. This international initiative aims to protect and preserve Aoos/Vjosa, which is considered the last large free-flowing river in Europe. Aoos or Vjosa is a river that spans across northwestern Greece and southwestern Albania, with a total length of approximately 272 kilometres. The first 80 km of the river are in Greece, while the remaining 192 km are in Albania. It has managed to resist human interference, making it the only wild river in Europe. In March 2023, it was designated as Europe’s first wild river national park.

The week-long science event will take place at the Sarandaporos river, one of Aoos’ main tributaries. This area is relatively unexplored in terms of Greece’s ecology and the Aoos River basin. The organizer of the event, the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos (MedINA), aims to convey the message “Aoos without barriers: We join forces for the first Cross-Border Free River Park in Europe, Aoos/Vjosa.” MedINA has partnered with organizations such as Euronatur, RiverWatch, and Eco Albania for this event.

The primary objective of the Science Week is to study the biodiversity of the rivers in order to enhance their protection. European volunteer scientists from seven countries, five research centers, and 17 universities will collaborate to collect data on the ecosystem. This event, the first of its kind to be held in Greece, seeks to promote the concept of a Transboundary Wild River Park in Europe that would span across the Greek-Albanian border, safeguarding the entire Aoos area including its streams and tributaries like Sarandoporos.

Despite recent protections put in place, the Aoos River ecosystem is still facing threats. The potential construction of dams and hydroelectric plant stations near Sarandaporos and throughout the Aoos catchment area poses a significant risk to the entire ecosystem. Technological disruptions could cause irreversible damage to the Aoos area, impacting both Greece and Albania. The hope is that this event and its supporters will lead to increased protection for the entire Aoos River ecosystem in the future.