Trump's massive hotel project in Albania has caused "irreparable" environmental damage, activists warn

Tirana, Albania - President Donald Trump 's vast hotel project in Albania has reportedly caused irreparable damage to a once pristine stretch of coastline, scientists and activists warned.

Satellite images obtained by AFP show that during a 25-day period in May, a road was cleared, an entire zone deforested, and a bridge built to span the channel connecting the Narta lagoon to the sea.

"Bulldozers on the beaches have already damaged the nesting sites of loggerhead turtles, which are threatened with extinction," Olsi Nika, a marine biologist who heads the NGO EcoAlbania, told the AFP.

In addition, the nesting grounds of numerous bird species have been disturbed by access roads through the dunes and the felling of trees. Construction on a channel between the lagoon and the sea has severely disrupted water flows essential to maintaining wetlands.

Nika described the environmental destruction brought on by the Trump family's latest project as "An absolute biodiversity massacre."

Daily demonstrations against the project have led to the suspension of some work, but the "damage caused to the heritage site long before construction even began is largely irreparable", says Ferdinand Bego, a professor at the University of Tirana.

Environmental activists have long raised concerns about the $5.1 billion project, which was first mooted in 2024 by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Albanians have been protesting against the project for months, but it was when barbed wire appeared six weeks ago to mark out the boundaries of the complex that anger truly erupted.

British singer Dua Lipa, a citizen of Albania, spoke out in support of the "inspiring" protests during a podcast earlier in July, and condemned the Albanian government's response.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama defended what he calls "Europe's finest project," saying it will help Albania catch up with its coastal neighbors.