Shkumbini River faces environmental impact from Corridor VIII construction

The construction of Corridor VIII, a strategic transport project part of the European TEN-T network, is causing significant environmental changes to the Shkumbini River basin in Albania. To support the development of the Elbasan–Librazhd and Qafë Thanë segments, the river and its tributaries are being used as sources for inert materials.

Data from the Water Resources Management Agency (AMBU) indicates that six permits have been issued for the exploitation of inert materials from the Shkumbini basin between Rrogozhina and Qafë Thanë. For the Elbasan–Qafë Thanë segment alone, three companies have been authorized to extract over 1,000,000 cubic meters of materials.

While authorities maintain that these interventions are planned and supported by hydrological and hydraulic studies, experts, environmental organizations, and local residents have raised concerns. These include riverbank erosion, changes in water flow, ecosystem damage, and potential risks to the safety of roads and bridges.