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What is happening to the protected natural areas in Albania, one year after the review of the borders

2023-01-28 20:38:20Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
What is happening to the protected natural areas in Albania, one year after the
Vjosa River

The Albanian government revised the borders of the protected natural areas in Albania a year ago. In some of the areas removed from Butrint Park and Divjaka - Karavastasa, the first negative consequences have appeared, while a positive progress is seen in the status of the Vjosa River as a National Park. Several environmental organizations in Albania have created a coalition for protected areas that aims to address the problems that are being created, not only with the authorities, but also in court.

In some of them we have direct conflicts. In Butrint, it is known that immediately after the removal of the protected area, a permit for a tourist resort was granted. In Karavasta we look at land occupation through agricultural infrastructure and habitat loss and more. We are even looking at strategic investments made within protected areas and they are investments that do not go with the ecological integrity of the protected areas themselves.

Mr. Bino further says that only in the Divjak Karavasta Park after the review of the boundaries in 2022 the area of ​​habitats occupied by agricultural activities, mainly greenhouses, went to 39.58% from 0.82% that was in 2005 and 7.75% that was in 2012.

Part of the coalition for protected areas is another organization "Eco Albania". Its director, Olsi Nika, says that the revision of the protected areas has opened the way for investments, which are appearing day by day in those areas that were removed from the protected areas.

"It seems and is being proven more and more that the entire review of the national network of protected areas was done precisely to pave the way for investments. There are cases that are very advanced, such as the case of Vlora Airport, so part of the protected area has been removed to develop this investment, as there are others that are in the planning phase. I can tell you that 75% of all strategic investments that have passed through the Strategic Investments Commission are located within the national network of protected areas, and most of them are precisely in these spaces that have been created by the review process."

The Berne Convention, an international legal instrument, which Albania has ratified, asked the Albanian authorities at the end of last year to suspend the works for Vlora Airport due to the "obvious lack of respect for national and international laws".

The revision of the map of protected areas should be seen for both positive and negative effects, says Mirjant Topi, another researcher and environmental activist.

"One of the positive developments that this process brought was the increase in the total area of ​​the national network of protected areas of the country, which today has reached 21% of the country's total area. Another positive development was the fact that the legal status of some areas was improved and unified because there was a legal contradiction. For example, the Law on Protected Areas stated that a Natural Monument has an area of ​​up to 15 ha, while we had Natural Monuments with a much larger area.

While the most negative developments, says Mr. Topi, are closely related to the wetland and coastal areas that represent the rarest areas in Albania, which make up about 3% of the total protected areas in Albania.

But while the first negative effects are seen in some protected natural areas, progress is being made in the management of the Vjosa River area as a National Park.

The Ministry of Environment has started consultations with the community and it is intended that within this year Vjosa will be declared a National Park throughout its course and sub-branches, according to the National Coordinator of the project Adelina Greca.

"We are in the first stage of the process when Vjosa, together with its three branches, Drino, Bënca and Shushica, will be declared a National Park, while the second stage aims to declare Vjosa a National Park, including other branches. its free-flowing".

Environmental organizations, part of the coalition of protected areas, in addition to addressing the problems created by the revision of protected areas to the responsible institutions, in some cases have also addressed the courts.

At least three lawsuits are under review related to decision-making for protected areas, says Dorian Matlia of the "Res Publika" legal center, part of the coalition of organizations for protected areas.

Resident communities are less interested in protected areas. There are some communities in certain areas that are interested, but not everywhere. While civil society organizations and scientific institutions are more interested in the process. Practically, until now there are three decisions of the Council of Ministers for protected areas, one of which is in court and the other two will go to court in a few days"

According to last year's World Environmental Performance Index, Albania ranks 62nd, out of 180 countries included in the study, in terms of environmental protection performance. According to the evaluation, Albania has the weakest indicators in addressing the appropriate policies for climate change mitigation and environmental health as a whole./ VOA


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