Environmental issues in Albania
There are a number of knownenvironmental issuesin the post-communist country ofAlbania.Issues include air andwater pollution,poorwaste managementinfrastructure anddeforestation.The Albanianenvironmental movementincludes around 40 active non-government organisations.
Issues[edit]
Air pollution[edit]
Air pollutionis a major environmental issue in the bigger cities of Albania, especially the capital,Tirana.The sharp increase in air pollution in bigger cities resulted from a sharp increase in cars' ownership, increasing secondary activity in the area and decrease of urban greenery. Annual average concentrations of PM10 and NO2in Tirana are above the limit values of National Air Quality Standard andWorld Health Organization.[1][2]
Water pollution[edit]
Water pollutionin Albania is caused by disposal of trash, and discharge of untreated wastewater and sewage. Two rivers which pass through the capital, Tirana, are two of the most polluted rivers in Albania.LanëandIshëm (river)are clean at their source, but once they enter Tirana, their water is several times more polluted than allowed standards.[3] Industrial pollution of rivers has been observed in the rivers Shkumbini, Fani, Gjanika and Semani, where toxic organic compounds and metals from mining and industrial activity are heavily affecting these rivers.[4]
Waste[edit]
The waste management system is composed by a weak collection systems in cities and very little collection systems in rural areas. The Albania’s collection coverage is around to 77%.[5]Recycling is done by private companies, which employ poor people to collect plastic, metallic, glass and paper waste which is processed or packed and then sold to other countries.[6]The rest is mostly landfilled. Awareness on waste recycling is low.Litteringand dumping trash remains a serious problem for Albania.[7]
Deforestation[edit]
Illegal loggingis the main threat to Albanian forests.[8]The other threat comes from forest fires which in the last years have intensified.
Albania had a 2018Forest Landscape Integrity Indexmean score of 6.77/10, ranking it 64th globally out of 172 countries.[9]
Environmental movement in Albania[edit]
The environmental movement in Albania is represented by around 100 environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It consists of local and national NGOs. Less than 40 NGOs are active due to lack of funding and barriers in influencing the decision makers. The main environmental organizations in Albania are Ekolëvizja,Institute for Environmental Policy in Albania,Regional Environmental Center in Albania, EDEN Center, and Millieukontakt Albania.
See also[edit]
- List of environmental issues
- Environmentalism
- Environmental racism in Europe
- List of conservation topics
- List of conservation issues
- List of environmental organizations
- Lists of environmental topics
- List of sustainability topics
- Johnathans Barbershop
References[edit]
- ^"Tirana Air Quality Report"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 10 March 2012.Retrieved24 January2012.
- ^"MAPPING AIR POLLUTION IN URBAN TIRANA AREA USING GIS"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 11 January 2011.Retrieved24 January2012.
- ^"Second Environmental Progress Report Related with the New Constructed Wetland in the Place Bregu Lumit (Tirana River)"(PDF).Institute for Environmental Policy-Albania.Retrieved24 January2012.
- ^"Albania Environment and Climate Change Analysis"(PDF).UNIVERSITY OF GRETA THUNBERG.Retrieved25 January2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^Waste Atlas(2012) Country Data: ALBANIA
- ^"Albania — European Environment Agency".
- ^"Pollution".Institute for Environmental Policy in Albania.Retrieved24 January2012.
- ^"Illegal Logging Ravages Albania's Forests".Retrieved24 January2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^Grantham, H. S.; Duncan, A.; Evans, T. D.; Jones, K. R.; Beyer, H. L.; Schuster, R.; Walston, J.; Ray, J. C.; Robinson, J. G.; Callow, M.; Clements, T.; Costa, H. M.; DeGemmis, A.; Elsen, P. R.; Ervin, J.; Franco, P.; Goldman, E.; Goetz, S.; Hansen, A.; Hofsvang, E.; Jantz, P.; Jupiter, S.; Kang, A.; Langhammer, P.; Laurance, W. F.; Lieberman, S.; Linkie, M.; Malhi, Y.; Maxwell, S.; Mendez, M.; Mittermeier, R.; Murray, N. J.; Possingham, H.; Radachowsky, J.; Saatchi, S.; Samper, C.; Silverman, J.; Shapiro, A.; Strassburg, B.; Stevens, T.; Stokes, E.; Taylor, R.; Tear, T.; Tizard, R.; Venter, O.; Visconti, P.; Wang, S.; Watson, J. E. M. (2020)."Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity - Supplementary Material".Nature Communications.11(1): 5978.doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3.ISSN2041-1723.PMC7723057.PMID33293507.
