Municipality of Resen
Lake Prespa apple heartland producing half of North Macedonia's apples, now reducing pesticides 30% to protect the tri-border lake ecosystem.
Resen exists because Lake Prespa needed a Macedonian municipality, and apple orchards needed a climate. This municipality produces half of North Macedonia's apples—Prespa apples are a brand recognized across the Balkans—on the shores of a tri-border lake shared with Greece and Albania. North Macedonia controls 56.42% of the Prespa watershed; Greece holds 23.82%; Albania 19.76%.
The formation era established apple cultivation in conditions uniquely suited to the fruit: mild continental climate, appropriate soil quality, and sufficient water for irrigation. The orchards expanded across generations until they became the municipality's identity. The 23rd annual Prespa Apple Harvest Festival in 2023 ceremonially plucked the first apple with regional and national officials attending.
Today Resen navigates the tension between agricultural productivity and lake ecosystem health. Irrigation draws 35 million cubic meters of water annually from Prespa, contributing to declining lake levels alongside well systems operating since the 1950s. Agricultural waste has polluted surface, ground, and lake waters. EU Ambassador David Geer announced increased financial assistance in December 2022 for wastewater treatment, solid waste management, tourism promotion, and support for apple farmers. UNDP programs have reduced pesticide use 30% through sustainable orchard management.
By 2026, Resen's apple economy must transition to sustainable practices or risk the ecosystem that enabled it. The lake's 2011 protected area designation creates conservation obligations. EU support provides resources for the transition; whether the municipality can maintain apple production while restoring Lake Prespa determines both economic and environmental futures.