26 national and local environmental organizations, through an open letter addressed to the government, have expressed their deep concern regarding the interventions in the bed and banks of the Shkumbin River, as part of the works for the construction of the Elbasan-Librazhd-Bushtricë national road, part of Corridor VIII.
Based on field observations, technical and visual documentation, and reports from local communities, the organizations have identified changes in river morphology, removal of inert materials from the bed and banks, and deposition of dredged materials near or within the water body. According to them, these interventions may affect water quality, biodiversity, bank stability, and the natural balance of the river ecosystem.
In the open letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Albania, Mr. Edi Rama, the Minister of Environment, Mr. Sofjan Jaupaj, as well as the institutions responsible for water resources management and environmental monitoring, the organizations request immediate institutional intervention and full verification of the legality of the actions carried out on the river.
Specifically, organizations require:
-Urgent on-site inspection by competent institutions and publication of an official report with findings and concrete measures;
-Verification of the compliance of interventions with permits for the use of water resources and the conditions of the Environmental Impact Assessment;
-Monitoring of water quality and sediments in the affected segments;
-Development and implementation of a rehabilitation plan for damaged areas;
-Full transparency on documentation, decisions and conditions of permits granted.
The organizations emphasize that the use of river aggregates must be in strict accordance with the technical and legal standards in force and that any deviation from these standards risks causing long-term environmental and territorial consequences. The consequences of these interventions are visible even at this stage of the works, but may be even greater in the long term, endangering the sustainability of the river banks, roads, lands and houses or businesses along the river.
This is a concern previously raised by local organizations and affected residents, emphasizing that this initiative is not against infrastructural development, but in support of responsible, balanced development in accordance with environmental legislation and the public interest.
The Shkumbin River represents a natural asset of particular importance for local communities, agriculture, biodiversity and the ecological stability of the region. Its protection requires continuous monitoring, institutional transparency and full respect for the legal framework.
Signatory organizations:
1. AlbNatyra Association
2. NORMA Center
3. Reinforce Sustainability (RESU Albania)
4. GO2Albania_Organization for Sustainable Urban Planning
5. LUMI Center - Movement for Water, Environment and Integration
6. Center for the Preservation and Protection of the Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA)
7. Flow
8. Balance Center
9. Center for the Protection of Natural Ecosystems in Albania (EcoAlbania)
10. Unë Gruaja
11. Institute for Nature and Conservation in Albania (INCA Albania)
12. ILIRIA-Protection and Social & Environmental Development Association (PSEDA-ILIRIA)
13. Eko mëdësimi Durrës
14. AGRIEN_JOINT AGRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATION
15. Environmental Resource Center in Albania (REC Albania)
16. All-Green Centre
17. Milieukontakt Albania
18. Association Albanian Ornithological Society (AOS)
19. KOKSh Reporting Network
20. Young Environmental Experts Association -SHERM Albania
21. Green House
22. Institute for Environmental and Territory Management
23. Destination Management Organization
24. Korça Alpin
25. North Green Association
26. Co-PLAN, Institute for Habitat Development
Editorial
