VIDEO: NEW FILM CALLS OUT INTERNATIONAL BANKS FOR FUNDING DAMS IN NATIONAL PARKS AND ON 'EUROPE'S LAST WILD RIVER'

• FULL 7-MINUTE FILM
  
• 2-MIN CUT FOR SOCIAL
• 60-SEC CUT FOR SOCIAL
  
• IMAGES
• TRAILER

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Today, the stunning 270km stretch of Albania's Vjosa River remains untamed, free-flowing and untouched by man. It is home to thousands of endemic species and communities that rely on it in its current state along its banks. By the end of 2018, if construction companies backed by international banks get their way, it could be a very different story. On the River Vjosa alone, 36 hydropower projects are proposed, with many more in national parks all over the Balkans.

Adventures Not Dams uncovers the damage inflicted by hydropower plants along The Vjosa River, fuelled by international banks. It documents the perspective of local biologists, farmers, students, and tourism experts and shows the irreversible environmental impact this will have on just two of the 36 hydropower projects planned along the Vjosa; Kalivaçi and Pocemi.

If the river is freed from damming, industries such as non-intensive agriculture and alternative renewable energy such as solar or wind production which can provide more sustainable long-term solutions for economic development for the local communities along its banks. Locals are also pushing for further investment in developing tourism which they fear will be lost with the hydropower developments.

Who's funding these dams? According to a new report released by Bankwatch (16th of March 2018), the hydropower projects in the Balkan region have enjoyed financial support from multilateral development banks, and international commercial banks including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the World Bank Group. Each have provided loans and guarantees totalling €727 million to 82 hydropower plants. This includes 37 projects in protected areas like national parks and Natura 2000 sites, as well as internationally recognised areas of high biodiversity value. The EBRD has supported a total of 61 plants with EUR 126 million, 29 of them inside protected areas, or internationally recognised biodiversity hotspots. Commercial banks have backed 158 plants, of which 55 are in protected areas or internationally recognised 'areas of high biodiversity value'.

Adventures Not Dams was co-produced by filmmaker Jon Collins and Much Better Adventures co-founder, Sam Bruce. On the release of the film, Bruce said, 'When we heard about the plans to dam the last wild river on the continent we went out to Albania see what was happening on the ground. To pour concrete over protected national parks is crazy but to do so without proper environmental assessments is obscene. They are building these dams without proper planning permission or giving notice to the locals who will be the most impacted.'

“The locals along this beautiful river have been ignored - It's a classic David versus Goliath situation. The optimism from some of the people we met was admirable but they desperately need their voices heard and get more support of the international community. Hopefully, our film can contribute towards making this issue more widely known - I anticipate this being a story that we will hear a lot more about in 2018”.

Olsi Noki, an environmental biologist, has been campaigning against dam construction since 2013. He emphasizes the urgency of the situation in the film, saying, “2018 is the year for the future of this river. There will be dams or no dams, but this is the year”.

If the river is freed from damming, industries such as adventure tourism, non-intensive agriculture and alternative renewable energy such as solar or wind production can provide effective long-term alternatives for sustainable economic development for the local communities along its banks.

Albania was listed as a 'Top Adventure Travel Destination' by the ATTA in 2017. Largely closed off to tourists until the early 90s, Albania's tourism industry has grown year on year, contributing $3.2bn to the Albanian economy in 2016 (26.0% of GDP). It is forecast to rise to $6.1bn (33.0% of GDP) by 2027 [4].

As well as releasing the film, Much Better Adventures have launched a new rafting and kayaking adventure in Albania with the local guides and activists connected to the campaign against the dams to support the growth of the adventure economy in the region.

Find out more at muchbetteradventures.com/vjosa

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NOTES

Find more detail in the full Adventures Not Dams campaign package.