Balkan Lake Ohrid Under Threat From Loss of Reed Belts

The reed destruction between Struga and Kalishta has intensified over the last three to four years; UNESCO has warned repeatedly that without serious action, the lake and its surroundings risk losing the prestigious status of world heritage site both in terms of culture and nature and being reclassified as an "endangered heritage site".

The once compact green belt of reed along the shoreline, visible on older satellite imagery, is now fragmented. While some green areas of reed remain, they are separated by scattered areas of grey where human intervention has cut the reed and compacted the earth so it cannot grow again.

The once compact green belt of reed along the shoreline is now fragmented. Photo: BIRN/Goce Trpkovski

'Heart of the lake'

Reed belts are important for filtering lake water and ensuring biodiversity survival. Fish and birds nest in them, while other wildlife finds shelter. Studies have shown that reeds are important even for the lake's microorganisms.

As such, environmentalists refer to the reed belts as 'the heart of the lake'.

According to the latest UNESCO report, published in early June, the number of water birds just along North Macedonia's stretch of shoreline dropped from roughly 79,000 in 1989 to 10,000 in 2010. The report blamed primarily the destruction and fragmentation of reed belts under pressure of tourism.

The destruction is plain to see - stretches of compacted material between the local road and the shoreline, some of them simply covered in rubble.

At two locations, lakeside cafes have been opened and campsites cleared, the reeds removed to provide an undisturbed view of the lake and access for swimming.

Most of the riverside plots are privately...