Albania

Albania lies in the heart of the Mediterranean, on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Still relatively unspoiled—the country registers comparatively low levels of carbon emissions due to low ownership of private cars, massive use of public transport and a reliance on hydroelectric power—Albania boasts a diverse climate and is home to a number of rare birds and animals. A mere three percent of the energy generation in the country comes from fossil fuels, and Albania exports hydro-generated power to Greece, helping its southeastern neighbor reduce carbon emissions. Albania ratified the Kyoto Protocol on April 1, 2005.

The Convention on Biological Diversity

The Convention on Biological Diversity was inspired by the world community's growing commitment to sustainable development. It represents a dramatic step forward in the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.

The following discusses Albania's plans for biodiversity nationwide:

Albania is located on the Balkan Peninsula and is part of the Mediterranean Alps, resulting in a relief that is mostly hilly and mountainous. The flora of Albania is divided into four main types: Mediterranean, Balkan, European and Eurasian. Habitat types are coastal communities, inland water, bushes, forests, pond vegetation and rocky formations. According to the Albanian Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (1999), during the last 50 years, two plant and four animal species are believed to have become extinct, and 17 bird species no longer breed in the country. Moreover, during the last 25 years, approximately 122 vertebrate species are expected to have lost more that 50% of their population. Numerous ecosystems are endangered in Albania, including the sand dunes, river deltas, alluvial forests, coastal lakes, alpine pastures and glacial lakes.

Environmental legislation related to protected areas was enhanced in 2002 with the adoption of the Law on Protected Areas, following decisions taken by the Council of Ministers on this subject. Ramsar protected areas include the Karavasta Lagoon (1994), Butrinti (2002), Shkodra Lake (2005), and new protected areas, namely, Narta Lagoon (2004), Shkodra Lake, Buna area (2005), enlarged Butrinti Park (2005), enlarged Dajti National Park (2006) and Bize-Mali me Gropa-Martanesh (2007) have been declared. Through the implementation of a government programme over the period 2005-2009 to double the extent of protected areas, an increase from 6.38% in June 2005 to 9.89% of Albanian territory at present has taken place. Also, through funding from the Global Environment Facility, a range of biodiversity conservation projects on, for example, Ohrid Lake, Shkodra Lake, Prespa Lake, have been completed or are currently in the phase of implementation. These projects have contributed to the management of their respective protected areas, and to the enhancement of technical and scientific cooperation with neighbouring countries.

Source: Convention on Biodiversity