Lake Skadar Is a Mirror of Our Way of Life
During the final conference of the Solution project "Lake Skadar without Chemical Pollution" it was concluded that there are certain chemicals in Lake Skadar that need to be monitored, but their level is below the concentration that would cause a negative effect on the environment.
The Delegation of the European Union in Montenegro and numerous project partners from Montenegro and Albania participated in the project, which lasted for 33 months.
Melanie Bride, Programme Manager for Cross-Border Cooperation in the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro said that it is the obligation of both Montenegro and Albania to protect national beauties and its natural heritage.
“Montenegro opened negotiating Chapter 27 – Environment and Climate Change in December 2018. The effective implementation of the national strategy on the environment and climate change, especially in the wastewater and nature protection sectors require full attention,” Bride added.
In this respect, as emphasised by Bride, the EU and its Member States expect that urgent measures are taken to preserve and improve the ecological value of protected areas and potential Natura 2000 sites, such as Lake Skadar, Ulcinj Salina, the Tara River and other river courses.
She added that the EU is also currently in the process of finalising a new Sector Operational Programme with the Montenegrin Authorities that will focus on the environment.
In this context, through the reinforcement of environmental protection, the Green Agenda will be promoted, there will be contributions to the mitigation of climate change, and the shift towards a low-carbon and circular economy will be accelerated.
“This project is not only creating new data, methodologies, and knowledge, but it is also creating real bonds and cooperation across Montenegro and Albania. This is the true value of the EU cross-border programme. The effects of this project could even go beyond the borders of Albania and Montenegro. Lake Skadar, often hailed as a living repository of nature's treasures, is an irreplaceable hub of freshwater biodiversity in Europe,” Bride concluded.
Chemicals are all around us. For now, those in Lake Skadar do not have a contaminating level, but they give out certain signals that it is necessary to act and continue the research. Although the lake has its own nature and way of protecting itself from human activities, Lake Skadar is a mirror of our way of life.
