In Pogradec, there was held the meeting on the “METT 2023 Analysis” for the Prespa National Park and the Protected Water/Terrestrial Landscape Pogradec Lake.

Attending the event were Prefect of Korça region Nertil Jole, General Director of the National Agency of Protected Areas Daniel Pirushi, Director of National Agency of Protected Areas in Korça Gjergji Koki, representatives of municipalities, representatives from PONT and environmental organizations working in the territory.

The meeting focused on the presentation of the current situation for both areas and on issues that require the cooperation and joint interaction of all actors.

Prefect Jole said that, “The long-term objective is to encourage implementation of sustainable models of ecological development in protected areas and national parks, the preservation of the ecosystem of biological diversity as well as the reduction of unsustainable or abusive pressure on natural resources”.

“Prespa” National Park is part of the protected areas of category 2, a decision which was announced in 1999. The specific representatives of the flora and fauna in the park are juniper, Balkan chamois, brown bear and curly pelican.

Some natural monuments in the park are: Zaveri Cave, Djellas Monastery Oaks, Maligrad Island, and Tren Cave.

Lake Pogradec is the deepest tectonic lake in the Balkans (289m). On July 5, 2019, due to the high biological and cultural wealth of Lake Ohrid, the Albanian part of it, together with the surrounding area, was included in the UNESCO Mixed Natural and Cultural World Heritage List.