Life around water

The project “Life Around Water – The Seen and Unseen Inhabitants of Lakes Ohrid and Prespa” aims to raise environmental awareness, promote biodiversity protection, and strengthen community involvement in the sustainable management of natural ecosystems. Focusing on the Albanian areas of Lake Ohrid (Pogradec) and Lake Prespa (Pustec), which are ecologically and hydrologically connected, the project treats the two lakes as a single, interdependent system rich in endemic and endangered species, such as the Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus), Prespa carp, and Ohrid trout.

The project will implement educational, participatory, and advocacy activities involving local communities, youth, and institutions. Through outdoor educational events, visual materials, storytelling, and local heritage, it will build emotional connections and understanding about the importance of biodiversity

The initiative involves a partnership between three civil society organizations from different regions of Albania and promotes local ownership, cross-learning, and sustainability. The outcomes include increased awareness, improved community engagement in environmental protection, concrete advocacy outputs, and replicable models of community-based ecosystem care.

This project fully aligns with the objectives of the GreenAL regional grant call, contributing to biodiversity protection, environmental education, and the empowerment of local actors. It offers a participatory and emotionally engaging approach to ecological challenges and creates the foundation for long-term environmental stewardship in Albania’s most valuable natural areas.