Activist gathering in Strpce in August 2023, National Park Sharr Mountains © Ulrich Eichelmann

Save the Blue Heart has has established a new partnership with an organization in Kosovo, Gaia Kosovo! In August, an activist gathering took place in Strpce, within the Sharr Mountains National Park. Residents, local government representatives, citizen associations, NGOs, the National Park "Sharr Mountain," lawyers, and

The Narta lagoon is a hotspot for Europe's migratory birds and an important resting area © Xhemal Xherri/PPNEA

Bern Convention calls on Albania to stop airport construction near Narta Lagoon. Project in Vjosa Delta endangers thousands of migratory birds. Conservation organisations filed lawsuits against destructive and illegal construction.

The river summit "Right to Rivers” organized by our Serbian partner "POLEKOL", the "Right to Water” initiative and the "Save the Blue Heart of Europe"  will take place on August 25th in Belgrade.  The event is among others, a gathering of experts and activists working to protect the rivers and nature of Serbia.

"We won't give Neretvica" © Pusti me da tecem

The concession contract for small hydroelectric power plants in the Neretvica River basin has been terminated! 15 small hydroelectric power plants, which would have irreversibly destroyed the river ecosystem will not be built. The local population has been mighty fighting these plans for

"Prijepolje doesn't want small hydro power plants" © Aida Paljevac

The Ratajska river in southern Serbia will remain free flowing and the whole river basin of may be protected in the future. This is a great success for local and national activists. Following wide protest of the local population, supported by the Serbian Blue Heart Team „Pravo na Vodu“, the Ministry of Mining and Energy stopped

Prime Minister Edi Rama, Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert, and Minister for Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro signed official declaration of Vjosa Wild River National Park © Anika Konsek

At a formal ceremony in Tepelena this morning, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama and his Minister of the Environment and Tourism Mirela Kumbaro declared the River Vjosa a Wild River National Park. As from today, the entire River Vjosa in Albania from its border with Greece to the Adriatic sea and its free flowing tributaries – a river system totalling more than 400 kilometres in length – have the very high level of protection.

Vjosa near Tepelene © Christian Baumgartner

The feasibility study is the result of six months of extensive fieldwork and in-depth analysis by a team of over 30 experts in areas such as eco-tourism, geomorphology, ecology, planning and management of protected areas, sustainable financing of national parks, legislation, and social and environmental impact assessment.

We invite you to join our next webinar on January 31st (6pm MET) to learn about the results of the 50 scientists that joined the Neretva Science Week in summer 2022 and how their science contributes to the protection of this highly intact river system.  Please REGISTER HERE to join this webinar. 

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