Valorising Earth’s Ancient Landscapes: The case of Lake Prespa and Lanzarote

Despite their geographical separation, Lake Prespa and Lanzarote share intriguing similarities rooted in their geological formations and tourism potential. Lake Prespa, nestled within the larger Ohrid-Great/Small Prespa system, part of the greater Drin Basin, stands as one of the world’s most ancient and expansive tectonic lakes which retain scientific significance for its ecosystems and biodiversity richness, that, despite recent international initiatives within Albania, North Macedonia, and Greece, are currently endangered by a drastic loss of water volume and pollution caused by uncontrolled anthropic activities. The region’s cross- border fragmentation, coupled with remoteness and limited infrastructural investments, has led to an overall underdevelopment, abandonment, and population decline of the towns and villages in the Albanian side of the area. On the other hand, born from volcanic eruptions around 20 million years ago within the Canary Islands, Lanzarote boasts a dynamic landscape resembling extraterrestrial terrains, captivating the scientific community’s curiosity due to its resemblance to the Moon and Mars. Despite experiencing a surge in tourism, Lanzarote still retains its authentic character, safeguarding its heritage and landscapes. The present research aims to investigate the relationship between the actual environmental challenges that Lake Prespa is facing and the past-current development of the area, to visualize current issues and possible futures. To do so, Earth Observation data from the Google Earth Engine Data Catalog and GIS are used, also to outline possible future scenarios within a timeline referred to 2050. Eventually, the case of Lanzarote is taken as a virtuous case study from which it is possible to extract an approach that promotes scientific and sustainable eco-tourism, which applied to the study area of Lake Prespa and its the lake towns, such as Pustec (AL), would promote cross-border initiatives aimed at valorizing their unique landscapes, local heritage, and traditions.