Evaluating, analyzing and mapping of negative impacts on environmentally protected areas

Tirana - 16 February 2018 - The Institute for Nature Conservation in Albania (INCA), in cooperation with the Regional Environmental Center (REC Albania) organized a national conference on the occasion of the completion of the first phase of the project "Promotion and advocacy of natural values and sustainable resources management  ​​in Protected Areas ". The project is funded bySwedish Government through SENiOR-II program and implemented by REC Albania.

In this event, Mr. Mihallaq Qirjo, Executive Director of REC and Mr. Zamir Dedej, General Director of NAPA, held the opening speech. Many CSOs at national and local level, were also present at this national forum. The conference aimed at sharingwith key stakeholders the final evaluation results, analysis and mapping of negative impact activities in 16 Protected Areas in Albania for the period May 2017 - January 2018.

The purpose and objectives of the Strategic Document of the Nature Protection Network follow those of the SENiOR-II program, based on its guiding principles.Sustainable management of natural resources and environmental protected areas (EPA) in our country continues to face a variety of problems that come either from human activities or its indifference.Failure to involve the community and CSOs in co-management and decision-making processes is a major disadvantage due to low capacity, lack of knowledge in local community groups and lack of coordination among the civil society organizations representing those community groups. On the other hand, local communities are not well informed about activities with a negative impact on their localities and opportunities for sustainable use of natural resources as potential for their development and well-being. Currently, this situation hampers the effective implementation of environmental and nature conservation policies, leading to inefficient management of natural resources

The project is aiming to contribute to the sustainable management of EPA through strengthening active and participatory role of Civil Society Organizations (CSO). Its objective is to strengthen the role and technical capacities of network members for identifying and responding to the issues as well as their involvement in decision-making processes for EPA management. The project enables the assessment of needs and the promotion of effective cooperation between civil society and law enforcement structures at the central level (such as Ministry of Tourism and Environment (MTE) and NAPA, and at local level the Regional Administrations of Protected Areas (RAPA) and local government, as well as building partnership among them through joint activities aiming at addressing and minimizing problems as well as promoting and managing sustainable natural resources and promoting biodiversity values.

The specific objectives of the project are: (i) Strengthening the role of ECSOs in identifying and responding to critical issues the PAs are facing; (ii) Encouraging participatory role of ECSOs in decision-making, benefits’ divisionand sustainable management of the PAs.

The evaluation process, analysis and mapping of activities with negative impact on selected Protected Environmental Areas were conducted by INCA and following ECSOs: "Albanian Forum of Lake Shkodra", Shkodra; "Social Protection and Development - ILIRIA", Tirana; "Protection of Environment and Tourism Development", Kukës; Association "Friendship", Ulza; "Nature Conservation and Adriatic-Environment Administration", Vlora; "Green and Clean", Korça and "Çajupi Environmental Association", Gjirokastër).

The strategic approach developed by the Nature Protection Network Strategy "Promoting and advocating for sustainable management of natural resources and values ​​in protected areas", aims at addressing the long-term issues and needs of the network as well as the establishment and development of a problem identification system for the 16 selected Protected Areas (EPA): Tirana, Vlora, Gjirokastra, Korça, Mat, Durrës, Kukës, Shkodra, Elbasan and Fier.

The evaluation process is conducted throughthe collection of real and factual information on all activities with negative impact within the territory of the selected protected areas, using the methodology of individual questionnaires, organization of meetings and discussions with the community and other interested parties regarding the use of natural resources and good governance of the ECSOs, as well as collection a and use of many documents, programs, reports, management plans etc, related to this area.

Evaluation and mapping of negative impacts was carried out in the following protected environmental areas:

1. "Divjaka-Karavasta" National Park,
2. National Park "Shebenik-Jabllanicë",
3. National Park "Valley of Valbona",
4. Llogara National Park & Managed Nature Reserve "Karaburun",
5. National Park "Bredhi i Hotovës-Dangëlli",
6. National Park “Prespa”,
7. National Park "Fir of Drenova",
8. National Park "Mali i Dajtit",
9. National Park "Qafë Shtamë",
10. Monument of Nature "Fir of Sotiri",
11. Managed Nature Reserve "Lake Shkodra",
12. Natural Park "Korab-Koritnik",
13. Natural Regional Park "Ulza Lake",
14. Protected Landscape "River Buna-Velipojë",
15. Protected Landscape "Mali me Gropa-Bizë-Martanesh" and
16. Protected Landscape "Vjosa-Narta".

The study’s coverage area includes ​​318,275.1ha, or 65.36% of the total area of ​​the protected area network of Albania, of 487,000 ha.

Selected environmental protected areas are represented by 9 national parks, with an area of ​​159,875.9 ha; 2 natural managed reserves or natural park, with 81,421.8 ha; 1 natural monument with 1,740.0 hectares of land, 3 protected landscapes with 71,031.4 ha and 1 municipal park with surface area 4,206.0 ha.

The project enables the capacity building of 30 participating organizations to identify the main issues faced now by the ECSOs. For this purpose, INCA, as a leader of the Nature Protection Network (NPN), developed a methodology for collecting (individual questionnaire) and then analyzing factual and realistic information on all activities with negative impact within the territory in protected pilot areas. The capacity building was accompanied by the organization of three regional seminars (Librazhd, Shkodra and Gjirokastra) with the participation of representatives of the NPN, selected NGOs and RAPA for recognizing and interpreting the provisions and by-laws in force for nature conservation as well as carrying out the process of assessing and identifying problems. Likewise, three regional seminars (Kukes, Vlora and Prespa) were organized for the recognition and implementation of methodology for gathering data and completing individual-questionnaires.

In this framework, there were trained about 390 participants from CSOs (part of NPN) and selected environmental NGOs. Impact was identified in the framework of stakeholder engagements, individual surveys (questionnaire completion), legal frameworkon nature conservation and protected areas, programs, management plans, management reports, various studies, etc., together with the organizations of local NGOs and the Environmental Protection Administrations at the regional level.

Based on the findings and the collected facts, an assessment-analysis-mapping report was drafted, including the mapping for the 16 EPA’snegative effects prepared by INCA.

The aim of the network strategy for nature protection is to further strengthen the capacities of Albania's civil society organizations, members of the network, to be able to play the catalyst role, to ensure wider proactive participation of local communities both in decision-making and in sharing the benefits of sustainable management of natural resources while contributing to the preservation and promotion of high biodiversity values ​​that characterize Albanian nature.

One of the main challenges emphasized in the conference for the project implementation, wasto be able to provide a good expertise in the field of nature protection in order to accomplish the main goal and project specific objectives. This project, through discussions with interested parties and the application of an effective methodology (individual questionnaire), identified and addressed, in general and in particular, the main shortcomings of the environmental protection areas taken in the study. The completion and interpretation of the questionnaire data was based on the methodology developed for this purpose. The main purpose of the survey is to identify and evaluate the current issues, administration and management of the SPAs and their natural resources. The data provided will be used with a view to influencing decision-makers, different organizations and the general public to pay more attention to the EPA National Networkand to the fulfilment of the EU criteria in this area.

The conference emphasized the need for attracting public attention to the main issues that EPAs are facing today, increase of their response and setting out relevant recommendations for minimizing negative impacts. The mapping of pressures and threats to existing protected areas and unprotected ecosystems also serves to identify emergency actions to be taken for threats to the country's protected area system.