About 17 environmental associations have strongly reacted to the intervention that is being carried out these days in the Divjakë-Karavasta National Park. In a reaction to the media, the associations say that the works of the last few days could disrupt all the natural balances and touristic values of the Park.
The associations also denounce the existence of a project inside the Divjakë-Karavasta National Park drawn up by the Divjakë Municipality, which could bring serious consequences if implemented.
Full notice of Associations:
The Network of Environmental Associations express their strong opposition to the illegal intervention of the last few days, accompanied by unacceptable modifications of the natural ecosystem of the Divjakë-Karavasta National Park, by introducing heavy motor excavators in the Central Area of the Park, with a clear effect negative not only in the park’s biodiversity but also as an intervention that can disrupt all the natural balances and touristic values of the Park.
The institution of the Municipality submitted a few months ago the request for an Environmental Permit for the development of a project inside PK Divjakë-Karavasta. This project, not publicly discussed, calls for the creation of a real floating canal connecting Divjaka with the lagoon of Karavasta and the construction of a wooden suspension bridge for pedestrians in the forest of Divjaka.
Beyond the institutional discussions, we clarify that the newly launched intervention is planned to be carried out in the Central Zone of the Divjakë-Karavasta National Park, announced in 1966 and expanded in 2005 by Decision of the Council of Ministers. Based on Article 6 of the Law on Protected Areas no. 8906 dated 06.06.2002 (amended by law no. 9868 dated 04.02.2008) in the Central Zones no type of intervention is allowed.
Likewise, according to Article 19 of the Law on Protected Areas, which mentions “Economic and social activities, projects intended to be implemented in a protected area, are provided with an environmental permit, after presenting the relevant study and the full impact assessment report on environment, based on studies and general regulatory plans, which are approved by the National Council of the Territory”. Until today, the Municipality of Divjaka has not received an environmental permit from the responsible institutions, and the introduction of heavy machinery into the park is completely illegal.
Not only that. The intervention is carried out in the most important area for biodiversity in Albania, in the Ramsar Zone of Divjakë-Karavasta, in the CORINE Biotope announced for the international importance of this area for the preservation of biological diversity, in the Specially Protected Area, part of the national list of the EMERALD Network , with AL code 0000002 (2001) and on the surface announced since 2003 as an Important Bird Area (Important Bird Area No. 006).
You can find the full article published by Koha Jonë here.
