Syllabus: GS2/IR
Context
- People in Albania have launched the “Flamingo Revolution” to oppose a proposed $1.6 billion luxury resort project.
About
- The project includes constructions on Sazan island and Vjosa-Narta, a wetland home for flamingos, seals and nesting sites for sea turtles, creating concern over the government’s negligence towards environmental degradation.
- In 2024, the Albanian government brought in a new law that stripped away Albania’s ecosystem protection, allowing construction on land considered “protected” under EU’s “Natura 2000”.
- Protesters claim no consultation was held before approving the project.
- The Flamingo Revolution began over environmental concerns but now have turned into anti-corruption rallies asking for the resignation of Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama.
- The protests are gaining international attention, recently the European Parliament pressed Albania to stop the construction in protected areas.
About Albania
- Albania is a country in southern Europe, located in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula on the Strait of Otranto, the southern entrance to the Adriatic Sea.
- The capital city is Tirana (Tiranë).
- Albania is bounded by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, North Macedonia to the east, Greece to the south, and the Adriatic and Ionian seas to the west and southwest, respectively.
- Albania is mainly a mountainous country, 28% is made of mountains, and 47% are hills, whereas the plains comprise 25%.
- Albania is also a member of NATO and it is not a member of EU but is actively negotiating its membership.
- Phoenicopteridae.
- They are famous for their pink plumage, long necks, and uniquely curved beaks adapted for filter feeding.
- There are six living species of flamingos found across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
- Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus).
- Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor).
- American / Caribbean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber).
- Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis).
- Andean Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus).
- James’s / Puna Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi).
- In India, the Greater Flamingo and Lesser Flamingo are found, especially in coastal wetlands and salt pans.
- Main threats include habitat degradation, pollution, disturbance at breeding sites, and climate change affecting wetlands.
- Greater Flamingo (IUCN): Least Concern.
- Lesser Flamingo (IUCN): Near Threatened.
Source: IE
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