Towards Sustainable Development in Albania

Towards Sustainable Development in Albania

ENKELEDA PJETRIMsc in Forest Policy & Economics

Albania

Portland, Oregon

November, 2015

Albania – Shqiperia Total surface : 29,000 km2 11,200 mi2

Approx. 9 times smaller than Oregon

Population : 2.9 Million

Urban areas : 50% pop

http://www.albania.al/

http://www.instat.gov.al/en/themes/population.aspx

Flag

AlbaniaLaguage: Shqip – AlbanianNationality: Shqipetare – AlbanianPopulation : Albanians Religion : Muslim 51 % ; Orthodox 7 %, Catholic 10%

Capital City : Tirana

Forests in Albania

48%

50%

2%

Forest Area – 2.6 million acres (37% country area)

State Communal Private

Forest Ownership

«Forests and pastures within Republic of Albania

territory are national wealth»

«Communal Forests» - forest owned or used by the local government structures, which can be given for long term use (non commercial) to its permanent residents

“Forest/pasture users”

• Local inhabitants (families and neighborhoods) having permanent residency in the Local Government Unit

National Federation and Associations of Forest and Pasture Users

• It performs forest management related and awareness rising activities

New Forest Law being prepared – to be passed at the parliament at the beggining of 2016

COMMUNAL FORESTS

Photo: NFFPU

Forest Products Production

Production Quantity of Industrial Round Wood Total, Wood Based Panels Total and Sawn wood Total (Source: FAO STAT, 2013).

Dem

ocr

acy

State ownership

Protected Areas - 1.5 millon acres

798 PA – aiming to 20% of country territory

3 RAMSAR Sites:

• Skadar Lake+Buna river

• Karavasta

• Butrint

1 Marine Park

• Karaburun - Sazan

Theth

Ecological Zones :

• Coastal plain• Hilly transition sub mountainous• Mountains

Forest Types:

• Mediterranean shrubs• Oak woodland• Beech forest• Mountain pine

3,200 plant species (approx 30% of Europe flora)

Biodiversity & Protected Areas

Sources:•http://www.instat.gov.al/al/themes/mjedisi.aspx•http://mjedisi.gov.al/

Albanian Tourism Development

Albania - Travel & Tourism Total Contribution to GDP

Perc

ent

23%

Albanian GDP- US$15bn

My Background Forestry Engineering

Masters of Science in Forest Policy & Economics

Non Formal Education – trainings and seminars on diversity, environment, interculturality, peace etc.

NGO Sector and consultancy 2009 – 2015

NCEM + CSD (Local non governmental organizations)- project management

Consultancy for Kosovo local consultancy firms

WWF – tourism expert on Certification on Sustainable Tourism

http://www.parksdinarides.org/en/

Community Solutions ProgrammeFellow at the WFI

Community Solutions Programme leader

IREX supported by the US State Department

Tourists• 40 times in 5 years (from 300 in 2006 to 12,000 in 2011)• 80% foreigners

Increased presure on the natural resources of the area

Management of Protected Areas - 2015 • Reform – National Agency for the Protected Areas• Protected Area law (to be designed)

Source::http://www.zhvillimiurban.gov.al/files/pages_files/Draft_Strategjia_Komb%C3%ABtare_p%C3%ABr_Turizmin_2014-2020.pdf

Tourism Development in Thethi Protected Area

“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Project Area: North of Albania

Take Home Lessons from the Pacific Northwest

• Participatory processes of management (Redwoods Forest National Park)

• Collaboration among stakeholders and actors

• Communication of all the development issues in the park with the interested audience (very rich website)

• Accountability criteria present and visible from the website (fact sheets, balance, expenditure )

«Raising community’s awareness on sustainable development of protected areas»

Workshops with actors and stakeholders on:

• Sustainable development

• Their duties and responsabilities

• Cooperation

• Active participation on decision making

• Right to be informed about area development

Project Implementation

Professional Development Take Home Messages «Transparency inspires confidence»

NGO

• Diverse Fundraising Strategies

• Endowments • Donations/Filantrophy• Crowdfunding – Indiegogo

• Transparency Assesment – by third parties & NGO ratings

• Voluntarism and Active Civil Society

Ju Faleminderit te gjitheve!

epjetri80@yahoo.com

epjetri80@gmail.com