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The debate on the construction of the Skavica hydropower plant: Drini i Black, a blessing or a curse?

2023-11-04 19:32:35Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
The debate on the construction of the Skavica hydropower plant: Drini i Black, a
Black Drin Valley

Residents of the Black Drin Valley have been opposing the construction of the Skavica hydropower plant for years. If this project were to be realized, it would sink more than 30 villages and isolate dozens more.

Fushë-Alia is one of the most fertile villages of the Black Drin valley, in Dibër. But the agricultural lands with abundant production of grains, fruits and vegetables are at risk of being submerged by the waters of the Black Drin River. If the Skavica hydropower plant were to be built, it would disappear from the map and isolate almost 40 villages of this region. "This is about mass displacement of the population, not three houses, not four houses, not one village but over 30 villages that will be moved. The worst possible problem is the psycho-social problem of man. People think: who was I , what I was, how I had built my life and where I ended up now. Not even talking about the economic side, which is very important. Here our ancestors lived, lived, built. I too have worked all my life, built the house from agriculture, while now... nothing. It's as if I set it on fire, it burned, there is nothing," says Dalip Alia, a resident of the village.

The debate on the construction of the Skavica hydropower plant: Drini i Black, a
The construction of Skavica will bring mass migration of the population

In the best case, the construction of Skavica means the displacement of more than 8,000 inhabitants of the area, as the water would consume an area of ​​52 km/square. In addition to the villages that would sink, dozens more would be isolated and suffer serious consequences. One of them would be Chidhna. For Selim Dacin, a beekeeper and agronomist, in case of construction of Skavica, he would also leave his village. "Here, the fog has lasted for many years, lasting 8-9 days, or 10 days, during a continuous period. With Skavica also coming, the fog will increase. As it increases, agriculture drops to zero. So, vegetables begin to spoil, spoil the vineyards, the apples, the plums... the bees also spoil. Even if we were to go up to the mountain, they spoil there too, they get damaged there too" - he expressed concern.

Skavica, still a "dream"

Skavica is located in the Kukës district, but the consequences of the hydropower plant that is planned to be built there, on the Drin River, will be felt in Dibër, the district with which it borders. Initially the project was supported by the Western Balkans Investment Fund (WBIF) and these were the two scenarios that were presented to the public: the large Skavica would cost 510 million euros, with a dam height of 443 meters above sea level, or the other version would was worth 308 million euros, with a dam height of 388 m above sea level. On June 3, 2020, during a presentation of the initial project, the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku, was very enthusiastic about the project. "In 2017, the Albanian government applied to the WBIF, for the WBIF fund to do a proper study of this project. Giving us today a result in our hands, the first phase of this project which offers us some of the scenarios for the realization of to this great dream."

But the dream that started in Europe suddenly ended in the United States of America. In the fall of 2020, the government signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Americans of the "Bechtel" company for Skavica. In the agreement, Bechtel committed to find the financing of a credit line which would then be paid by KESH. The appearance of the Americans on the scene caused dissatisfaction in Brussels. In January 2021, the European Union officially withdrew from funding Skavica, although it had provided the first 1.5 million euros in the form of a grant from the Western Balkans Investment Fund. Two years later, a spokesperson for the European Commission responded thus to our interest: "The Skavica hydropower plant project, which is being prepared, is expected to have a major impact on the environment and the socio-economic situation of the area. The project also affects the populations of the Balkan lynx, which uses this corridor to migrate between Albania and North Macedonia."

But the government at the time seemed unconcerned and followed Skavica's plan with the Americans. In the summer of 2021, Bechtel signs a contract approved by a special procedure by the Assembly, but without competition, with the Albanian Electricity Corporation. The government and the Americans chose the scenario of the great Skavica, with a dam height of 443 meters above sea level and a total cost of 510 million euros.

The debate on the construction of the Skavica hydropower plant: Drini i Black, a
Vesel Hoxha, geological engineer

The geological engineer, Vesel Hoxha, says that the best option would be for the dam not to be built, as it does not provide security. "The government is working on the 443-meter dam. Although there is no transparency at all. Although I am a specialist very familiar with the area, I do not know exactly where the dam is. Because no one gives it, no one gives it. there are coordinates that say: "The dam will be built in this place". But based on the works that have been carried out on the ground, out of curiosity I have gone several times, and from that I learn where the dam can be built. Based on these concrete circumstances and the observations I made in the field, I can say that the area where they plan to build the dam is a geologically dangerous area. Not only does it not guarantee safety, but it is an area with a lot of tectonics. The possibility that the dam will burst, from the great pressure of the future lake that will be created, is very great. The main thing of a hydroelectric dam is safety. If the dam is not safe, the hydropower plant from a producer of electricity and profit, turns into a tragedy. A domino effect occurs throughout the Drin cascade. If the Skavica dam broke, as a result all the other dams would collapse and create a risk not only national, but also international" - argues engineer Hoxha.

Who wins and who loses?

For Bujar Karoshi, journalist and publisher of the local newspaper "Rruga e Arbërit", the residents are also facing informational terror, with whom public hearings have not yet been held. "One of the reasons why public hearings have not been held, says the government, is that 'we have not finished our environmental studies and when we finish our environmental studies, we will come to do public hearings'. Well, what prevents the government from coming to do public hearings, before finishing the environmental studies? Because maybe from these public hearings it would be necessary for environmental studies to get the right conclusions. We, in this situation, are prejudging the environmental study, but we have every right to prejudge it as long as no one undertakes to listen to these residents. So it is a process that must be created step by step and comprehensive. The government is only looking out for its own interests, and the investor is only looking out for his interests," he argues.

The debate on the construction of the Skavica hydropower plant: Drini i Black, a
Majlinda Hoxha, activist against Skavica

Majlinda Hoxha, an activist of the cause for about 3 years, has the same opinion. She has witnessed how the water resources of the village where she was born and raised have always been exploited by local and foreign businesses for major benefits, while the people of Dibran have only borne the negative consequences. "In addition to losing, we have not won until now. We have not even won electricity, to tell the truth. Because if earlier there was always disconnection, as you know how the history of Albania was after the 90s, in Dibër it still continues to have occasional power outages. So we are not the first ones who benefit from these hiccups. The ones who benefit are simply the corporations, the companies that build and use this electricity for trade, for buying and selling, use nature and the resources we have.

But the cause has scored its first victory. The Constitutional Court has accepted the lawsuit of the associations "For the Protection of the Properties and the Environment of the Black Drin Basin" and "Opposition to the Skavica Dam", for the reconsideration of the law for the construction of the Skavica dam by the American contractor "Bechtel". supported by a number of local organizations as well as the international environmental organizations CEE Bankwatch and EuroNatur, the plaintiffs claim that the project ignores the impacts on the environment and that the open competition and procurement procedure has been bypassed.

Predictions for the future

The constitution is not the only victory of these people. The project, presented with pomp, has lost its luster. Skavica is associated with procrastination and violation of deadlines. The government's plan to open the construction site this November has failed. The Albanian Electric Power Company and the Bechtel Company have not yet made public the feasibility study, which means that in 3 years the first phase of the project has not yet been completed. None of the responsible parties have responded to our requests for information. But sources from KESH admit that Skavica has remained in the country because of the high costs. In a preliminary estimate, Bechtel's Americans have doubled the cost from 510 million euros to 1 billion euros.

The debate on the construction of the Skavica hydropower plant: Drini i Black, a
Environmental organizations protesting

International environmental organizations see the environment as important even for the fate of the country's membership in the EU. "Membership in the European Union is not possible if a country does not apply the European criteria. The Environment Chapter, Chapter 27, is one of the most difficult for the candidate countries to fulfill. And from what we see with Albania, it is not it is difficult for environmental directives to be prepared, implemented, etc., but everything is related to the rule of law. And what we see in the case of Skavica, where we see a series of violations of national law but also of EU law, is also happening with the airport of Vlorës. Even in this case we see that the Albanian government is clearly ignoring a clear and powerful recommendation of the Bern Convention. And if a candidate country for the EU openly ignores the recommendations of an international treaty, then this is an answer also for the policy makers in the European Union, and I think it is a lack of trust that the Albanian government does not have the will to accept the European rules. So, I am absolutely convinced: it has a major impact on the further path of Albania's membership" - argues Gabriel Schäderer , Executive Director of EuroNatur.

Residents do not lose hope that they will win this battle. "I always look at it optimistically because if I looked at it pessimistically, I wouldn't be here. And the main optimism is given to me by the residents of the villages, when I see how vulnerable they are, that they want to speak, they want their voices to be heard, but they want to have someone to consult, to organize to find the right way. And we have always had a blessing from Drini and I believe that it will continue to be a blessing for the people of Dibra and the entire area of ​​Dibra" - concludes Majlinda Hoxha.

*This research was carried out by journalists Elona Elezi and Esmeralda Cenollari-Topi, with the support of Journalismfund Europe.

Editor: Pandeli Pani/ DW

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