The protest of the villagers of Kutë against the hydropower power plant on the Vjosa River in Poçem was successful in the first instance in court in 2017. While the legal battle continues, the "Solar in Kuta" campaign is showing the government that it does not need a hydropower plant and that Kuta can generate its own energy using more environmentally friendly alternatives.
The community of Kutë will be long remembered in the history of river protection in Albania. Faced with a fact that would change their life negatively forever, they mobilized very quickly and came to the defense of their river. A large hydropower plant was to be built on the Vjosa River in Poçem, which would overturn the land of the villagers of Kutë and force them to move out. But they did not give up protesting, with the support of the environmental organizations EcoAlbania, Riverwatch and EuroNatur and going to court to oppose the project. In 2017, the Administrative Court of Tirana granted justice to residents and organizations by declaring the contract for the construction of the Poçemi hydropower plant invalid. A great victory for the people and civil society in Albania.
While the legal battle to protect Vjosa continues, the Solar in Kuta campaign is showing the government that Kuta does not need a hydropower plant and they can generate their own energy through other, more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Solar plants in Kuta
Last year, in May 2020, environmental organizations working to protect the Vjosa River in Albania launched the "Solar in Kuta" campaign to raise funds to implement a pilot project to help the community of Kuta village, as one of the communities most affected by the Pocem hydropower plant.
The solar project in Kuta is a novelty for Albania, as this is the first community solar energy generation project that aims to install an independent energy generation system that will provide electricity to 5 public buildings in the village: health center, school, cultural center, administrative unit and water pumping station. "We live in a place with many sunny days and we think that this potential should be used to provide energy to our village. This way we can keep Vjosa free and develop as a village. Solar panels in Kuta is a very valuable project and a great help for our community", said Demir Murataj, resident of Kutë village.
According to the project idea of the initiating NGOs, this would be just the first step of a larger project that aims to transform the entire village of Kuta into a solar village whose community would produce the energy needed to meet their needs, by installing solar panels on the roofs of their houses.
"We want to help the community of Kuta village to produce energy through other alternatives such as solar energy, to show that they do not really need the Poçemi hydropower plant and that Vjosa can be saved from sacrifices due to energy needs. This is a good opportunity for Mallakastra municipality to reduce the monthly electricity bill for 5 public buildings in Kuta village," - stated Olsi NIKA, executive director of EcoAlbania."
After a successful fundraising campaign, although in difficult times worldwide because of the pandemic, the amount of EUR 80,500 was guaranteed for the implementation of the first phase of the solar project in Kuta. The installation of solar panels in the five public buildings of the village should start soon.
"Solar energy can give the people of Kuta and Albania the opportunity for energy ownership, which comes with responsibility and an even stronger community connection. This made the decision to launch the solar campaign in Kuta even easier. We are happy to start installing photovoltaic panels now, believing that this pilot project will serve as a good model for other communities in Albania," said Tara SUKIÇ, Campaign Manager "Save the Blue Heart of Europe" at EuroNatur.
The Vjosa River occupies a special and essential place in the daily life of the inhabitants of Kuta, and the social and cultural values of the Vjosa River are irreplaceable for them. The possibility of developing the area from the Vjosa National Park would promote the development of tourism in the region by increasing the demand for investment. This would be the first investment in sustainable development of the Vjosa Valley and especially the village of Kuta.
Vjosa - the last wild river in Europe
The Vjosa River is a jewel of Albanian nature and an international treasure. This unique ecosystem is hard to find in Europe today. Its uninterrupted flow passes through numerous towns and villages whose inhabitants have linked their lives to this river for centuries. Communities along the Vjosa Valley and concerned environmental organizations have often rallied against government plans to build hydropower dams in the Vjosa. More than 40 hydropower plants are planned throughout the Vjosa basin, threatening the destruction of the ecosystem and the livelihoods of many affected residents. Against this background, international and national organizations have been implementing the "Save the Blue Heart of Europe" campaign for more than 8 years to protect the Balkan rivers from the hydropower epidemic with a special focus on the Vjosa, the last wild river in Europe (without including Russia). Their vision is to declare the entire Vjosa Valley a national park, which would be the first national park of a wild river in Europe.
In support of this vision, a group of national and international scientists is working to collect data and scientific arguments for the protection of the Vjosa River and its tributaries. These scientific arguments have enabled the institutions to make another important decision for the Vjosa: the rejection of the project of the second largest hydropower power plant on the Vjosa, that of Kalivac. "This is a historic moment in which the Albanian government has the opportunity to secure the future of the Vjosa Valley forever. Vjosa is the last chance we have to create the first wild river park in Europe and the sustainable development of the entire valley for the benefit of nature and its communities," - stated Olsi NIKA.
However, the Albanian government seems to have partially listened to the voices of local residents and activists, because in December 2020 it decided to simply grant Vjosa the status of a protected nature park, a status that, according to local law and IUCN standards, falls into category IV of protected areas, which provides little protection for a unique ecosystem like that of the Vjosa. Activists are satisfied with what has been achieved so far, but continue to call for the designation of the Vjosa as a national park.
The activists' efforts to declare Vjosa and its branches a national park continue, as the issue has attracted international attention and received the support of world-famous celebrities such as Leonardo Di Caprio, Edward Northon, Ellie Goulding, etc., who have called on their social networks to stop hydropower plans and declare the Vjosa Valley a national park.