“Comment is free, but facts are sacred.” — C. P. Scott, 1921.
IUCN: Stop diverting the Shushica; Himara’s water supply should use other sources
Erblin Vukaj · Originally published: 31 January 2025
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A report by an international environmental protection organisation stresses that the Himara water supply project, which plans to draw water from a source of the Shushica River, endangers the Vjosa National Park. The organisation says the project will have serious environmental consequences and recommends abandoning it and using alternative sources.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has published an assessment of the controversial project to divert water from the Lëpusha spring, within the Vjosa park, towards the Himara coast to support mass tourism.
The report, prepared by international and local experts, stresses that the project risks affecting the Vjosa’s biodiversity and does not meet IUCN standards for parks.
According to the report, diverting the water would cause the loss of critical habitat for threatened species, including fish, amphibians and aquatic vegetation, as well as irreversible damage to sediment transport and water quality.
These impacts conflict with IUCN guidelines for Category II National Parks, guidelines the Albanian government has pledged to take into account. The report stresses that abandoning the project is essential “to achieve no loss of biodiversity and avoid negative impacts on the integrity of Vjosa National Park and its objectives.”
IUCN stresses that the Lëpusha spring is the main source of the Shushica’s flow and is therefore essential to its ecosystem. As planned, the project would use the spring’s entire flow even in summer, leaving no water for the river’s biodiversity or for residents of the 36 villages along its course to the confluence with the Vjosa.
The report identifies alternative water sources, including the Borsh, Tatzat and Fera springs, that could meet demand without damaging the Vjosa National Park. It also stresses that climate change is projected to reduce water availability in the Vjosa and Shushica by 30% by 2050, making the ecological impact of water abstraction even more severe in the future.
In a statement published online, environmental organisations EcoAlbania, Riverwatch and EuroNatur welcomed the report’s findings and called on the government to act accordingly, protecting the Vjosa National Park by considering an alternative project using water sources outside the park.
Founded in 1948, IUCN is one of the most prestigious organisations in environmental protection and biodiversity. As an international network of experts and organisations, IUCN advises governments and institutions on the sustainable management of natural resources. Its reports carry considerable weight in international decision-making and often influence member countries’ environmental policies.
Residents’ resistance and the authorities’ indifference
The Shushica flows from Mali i Thatë and Mali i Gjoshnikoshit, east of the village of Kuç. The river brings together at least three cold streams, Smokthina, Vajza and Vllahina, and runs around 82 kilometres from south to north before joining the Vjosa as one of its main tributaries.
Since 2021, residents of villages along the Shushica, also known as the Vlora River, have opposed the Himara water supply project, which plans to divert the river’s flow towards coastal resorts and hotels.
According to residents, the diversion risks halving the river’s flow, harming their farming and livelihoods. They have protested several times, calling for work to stop and an alternative solution to be found.
In June last year, supported by EcoAlbania and Res Publica, 54 residents sued the Vlora Basin Council, the National Environment Agency and Himara Municipality, seeking suspension of the project.
But although the case is still before the court, the construction company has resumed work, moving pipes into the Vjosa National Park. This has prompted strong reactions from residents and environmental organisations, who stress that intervention in the park sets a dangerous precedent for its future.
This is the second battle to protect the Shushica. The first opposes the construction of 4 hydropower plants and secured last year a victory at first instance in the Administrative Court.
* This article was reviewed and corrected on 8 October 2026.