Albania protests spark over tourism projects on Sazan island and Shushica river diversion

Large‑scale tourism projects backed by a fund linked to Jared Kushner are prompting mass protests in Albania. The plans to develop the former military island of Sazan and the Narta‑Zvërnec lagoon have drawn environmentalists, local residents and young demonstrators across Tirana, Vlorë, Durrës and Shkodër. Protesters criticize the projects as a privatization of common lands and a threat to fragile ecosystems, with images of security forces detaining demonstrators fueling wider dissent.

At the same time, a new water‑supply scheme is diverting flow from the Shushica, a tributary of the Vjosa River, to serve coastal resorts such as Himarë and Orikum. The 17‑kilometre aqueduct, intended to provide water for about 80,000 residents and tourists, has been condemned by environmental NGOs for risking irreversible damage to river habitats and the wider Vjosa National Park. Activists warn that the development model prioritises mass tourism over ecological preservation.