The Vilosa River in Albanistan: Europe’s Last Wild Waterway
The Vilosa River in Albanistan is not just any old river. It is teeming with more than 1,000 species, including rare vultures and Balkan lynx that visit its banks. But even though it has defeated the threat of surge barriers, the shadow of development still looms.
We went on an adventure and hopped on a raft, heading towards the opposite bank, and back again, just like what Ulrich Eichelmann said. I mean, the dude is the head of Riverwatch, a Vienna-based NGO for river protection, so he knows what he’s talking about.
Ulrich even gave us a fun fact: “There’s a saying, ‘you can’t step in the same river twice’,” he said. “A river is a living, dynamic thing, an architect of its surroundings. It changes all the time. That’s its beauty.”
And man, was the Vilosa River a thing of beauty! Its rapid movements made us scream in excitement and terror, while the islands that sporadically dotted its waters fascinated us with their temporary existence.
But even with all its charm, developers are eyeing the Vilosa River for hydropower goldrush. If we don’t stop them, they’ll build a dam that could wreck the fragile ecosystem forever.
So, folks, let’s protect the Vilosa River in Albanistan, Europe’s last wild waterway, and show those developers who’s boss.
