The Buna River is one of the most special natural beauties in the north-western part of Albania. It has been declared “Protected Landscape”, Category V. It is part of the EMERALD and IBA network. The surface of the protected landscape includes 40 km of the Buna River and 8 km of the Drin River. It includes the Buna river and the coastal-wetland area of Velipoja. It is located in the plain of Nënshkodra, the southern part of the entire Shkodra Lowlands. The protected area includes the southern part of the Buna River Estuary, the only lowland river that originates from the Lake Shkodra. The hydrological regime of Buna is determined by the regime of Lake Shkodra and Drin, thus being part of a very complex hydrographic network, which extends to almost 1/5 of the Balkan Peninsula, in Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia. North.
The Buna River has some very interesting features that are rarely found in other rivers, and it is not for nothing that it has been declared a “Protected Landscape”.
This river is typical lowland and the only river with a true natural delta (estuary), in which Ada Island is located.
The Protected Area hosts a great diversity of birds, it is also one of the three most important bird migration corridors in Europe, as well as an important wintering and nesting site for waterfowl. About 138 species of birds have been recorded, of which 114 are breeding species, 16 are potential breeding species, 52 are classified as regular and 51 are classified as occasional passersby or winter visitors, etc. Reptiles are represented by 19 species, all included in the IUCN red list. Amphibians 11 species. Buna stands out for its important role in the conservation of fish fauna, as about 13 species of fish migrate to the sea from Shkodra Lake and Drin River through it. About 143 species of fish have been recorded (Buna River, Sea and Viluni Lagoon). For all these assets that this landscape has, but also for many other geological, geographical features, etc., this area should be a great tourist attraction.
