Kushner's Albania Resort Project Threatens Pristine Wetland, Critics Say

June 12, 2026 - 13:41

The construction site at Vjosa-Narta looks nothing like the glossy renderings released to the public. Bulldozers are carving through marshland, pushing aside reeds and mud to make way for what is supposed to be a luxury resort backed by Jared Kushner. What I saw there last week was not a development project. It was an environmental disaster unfolding in real time.

Vjosa-Narta is one of Europe's last remaining intact wetland ecosystems. It sits where the Vjosa River meets the Adriatic Sea, a rare patch of wilderness that hosts hundreds of bird species, including the endangered Dalmatian pelican. The area is legally protected under Albanian law and recognized internationally as an Important Bird Area. None of that has stopped the heavy machinery.

Local environmental groups have documented sediment runoff spilling into the lagoon. Heavy trucks compact the soil, destroying nesting grounds. The noise alone has already driven away several migratory species that usually stop here in spring. Fishermen in nearby villages say the water has changed color near the construction zone. They worry their catch will disappear.

Kushner's company has defended the project, calling it a boost for tourism and jobs. But the math does not add up. The resort will employ a few hundred people seasonally. The wetland supports thousands of livelihoods year-round through fishing, small-scale agriculture, and eco-tourism. Destroying it for a private beach club makes no sense.

Albania's government approved the project quietly, without the public hearings that local law requires. Activists have filed lawsuits, but construction continues while the courts deliberate. The damage may be irreversible by the time anyone rules.

This is not about politics. It is about a fragile ecosystem being flattened for profit. The pelicans do not care who owns the bulldozers. They just need a place to land.