United Nations Development Program presented a documentary on the environmental situation of Lake Prespa which, the agency says, has greatly improved over the past 15 years. A joint program implemented by the municipality of Resen, UNDP, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Global Environment Fund has helped return some of the native fish species to the lake.
“It took 15 years and 15 million USD but finally, after decades of deterioration, the state of Lake Prespa is improving” said UNDP representative to Macedonia Louisa Vinton.
“Lake of Apples” is the name of the documentary film that was produced to present the rich natural heritage of Prespa, with its 2.000 species of birds, fish and mammals. Unsustainable farming practices, especially around the economically important apple orchards, were blamed for the pollution, and the project helped introduce better farming practices in the region. It is estimated that the use of irrigation water has been reduced by 60 percent, and the outflow of pesticides dropped by 70 percent, as a result of the program.
