The Aoos River as a cross-border ecological corridor and resource for community development: regulating the ecological flow in the Aoos Springs dam

The Aoos-Vjosa river is one of the last largely free flowing rivers in Europe, shared between Greece and Albania and internationally recognised for its outstanding ecological value. Despite the multiple protection regimes in place, several pressures such as obsolete river barriers, existing and planned hydropower plants threaten river connectivity and hydromorphology, important habitats and native fish species.

Medina has been working in the region since 2012 with local stakeholders, cross-border partners and international experts to advance scientific research, document and monitor the impacts of hydroelectric development, Prioritize the removal of barriers, defend a strengthened institutional and legal framework, and mobilize local communities to actively engage in the protection of their rivers through awareness campaigns.  educational programs and citizen science actions. The initiative is part of the international campaign “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” and one of its key objectives is to establish the first cross-border river wild park in Europe, capitalizing on recent political advances in both countries.

An important element of this initiative is the implementation of biological minimum flow at the Aoos Springs dam in Greece. The absence of electrical flow in this public hydroelectric plant modifies natural flow regimes and affects downstream ecosystems, in violation of European and national legislation, as documented by a scientific study co-published by Medina. Thanks to the defense of science-based policies and stakeholder engagement, Medina aims to reach the minimum biological flow at the Aoos Springs dam; If this request receives a financial award, funding will be directed towards this activity as a result.