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In the mountainous region of Kelmend in Northern Albania, the last descendants of the Illyrian people are living. Their way of thinking, their way of being and acting develop as a part of nature within traditional thought and wisdom integrated into modernity. The balance between people and nature shapes their social and cultural order. It is in this region that “the blue heart of Europe” is beating, the last wild rivers, and the one of the richest ecosystems in mainland Europe is hidden.

This eco-cultural heritage is threatened by a real race for blue gold. Thousands of kilometers of rivers, millions of people and hundreds of species are endangered. Nearly 3000 hydroelectric dams and by-pass structures are planned to be constructed in the Balkans. Several rivers in Kelmend are completely dried out because of penstocks.