Nature in Kosovo

Kosovo's natural landscapes include the Dinaric Alps, the Bjeshkët e Nemuna mountains in the west, the Sharri mountains, karst formations, caves, gorges, waterfalls, springs, rivers, lakes, wetlands, forests and alpine meadows. Bjeshkët e Nemuna covers 63,028 hectares across five municipalities and includes Gjeravica, Kosovo's highest peak at 2,656 metres. Sharri covers 53,469 hectares. Examples of notable natural sites include Rugova Gorge, Mirusha Waterfalls, the White Drin, Gadima Cave and the Henc-Radeve Wetland. Protected areas are called zona të mbrojtura in Albanian. The categories include Parku Kombëtar, meaning national park; rezervat strikt i natyrës, meaning strict nature reserve; park i natyrës, meaning nature park; peizazh i mbrojtur, meaning protected landscape; monument natyror, meaning natural monument; and Zonë e Veçantë e Mbrojtur e Zogjve, meaning a special bird protection area. The 2022 register listed 260 protected areas covering 126,115.8 hectares, or 11.6% of Kosovo's territory. The 2024 figure was 273 areas covering approximately 11.7%. Mali Mokna and Liqeni i Ujmanit received preliminary protection in 2025 over 192.19 square kilometres, but their final status remained open in the available research. The stated target for total protected territory was 13.32%. The Bjeshkët e Nemuna management plan for 2024–2033 divides the park into three zones. Zone I covers 9,223 hectares, or 14.63%, and allows research and education only with Ministry approval; economic activities are prohibited there. Zone II covers 46,931 hectares, or 74.47%, and permits regulated ecotourism, traditional farming, grazing, drinking-water protection and limited infrastructure. Zone III covers 6,873 hectares, or 10.90%, and allows construction or alteration, recreation, tourism and natural-resource use according to the management plan and applicable law. The Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency, also known as AMMK or KEPA, the Kosovo Institute for Nature Protection, the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, municipalities and national-park directorates share responsibilities for protection and monitoring. The Kosovo Forest Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development handle relevant forest, wildlife and hunting matters. Police and central inspection bodies support enforcement. Overlapping responsibilities can make coordination difficult. Kosovo has approximately 2,800 to 3,000 vascular plant species. The Red Book records 306 fauna species, including 39 mammals, 24 birds and 20 reptiles. Bjeshkët e Nemuna records about 37 mammals, 148 birds, 10 reptiles, 13 amphibians, 129 butterflies and more than 1,000 plant species. The Balkan lynx, brown bear, chamois, wolf, deer and wild boar are among the notable species. Camera traps and other monitoring methods are used, although population and distribution data remain incomplete. People have a right to environmental information, participation, a healthy environment and recreation. Strictly protected species may not be captured, killed, collected or disturbed, and their nests, resting places and breeding sites may not be destroyed. Collecting protected plants, fungi or their parts for trade or processing requires Ministry permission. Use of forests, water, plants, wildlife and other natural resources must avoid damage to soil, water, geological features and biodiversity. Forests support timber and firewood use, grazing, berries, mushrooms and medicinal or aromatic plants. Illegal logging was recorded as a major problem in 2022, with 1,789.86 cubic metres seized from municipal forests and 225.64 cubic metres by the Kosovo Forest Agency. Uncontrolled collection of medicinal and aromatic plants also threatens populations. Hunting and fishing depend on the applicable permit, season, species, sex or size limits, methods, fees and local rules. Strict reserves and protected species can exclude access entirely. Nature-based activities include hiking, climbing, mountaineering, mountain biking, kayaking, white-water activities, caving, horse riding and ziplining. Registered companies and professional associations provide services, and tourist guides must be registered and meet applicable qualification and language requirements. Providers must give visitor information and risk warnings. No uniform nationwide protected-area entrance fee was established in the available research; guide, equipment, accommodation and transport costs vary. Schools, park directorates, the Kosovo Institute for Nature Protection, research institutions and non-governmental organizations provide field visits, excursions, information work and research opportunities. Guided youth excursions and visits to strict reserves require the applicable approval, including Ministry approval where the national-park plan requires it. Wildfires, illegal interventions, habitat fragmentation, altered watercourses, roads, construction, waste and unlawful hunting threaten natural areas. Kosovo recorded 1,596.98 hectares of forest-fire damage in 2022. Alpine terrain and changing weather require local risk checks. Conflicts commonly arise between conservation and illegal hunting, logging, plant collection, roads, urban expansion, quarries, dams, hydropower, water extraction and tourism. Local grazing and traditional farming can also conflict with protection and development goals. In 2026, unauthorized construction activity in Sharri and Bjeshkët e Nemuna was prohibited, including bringing or transporting building materials or heavy equipment without Ministry approval; controls, seizures and criminal reports may follow.