There are a number of known environmental issues in the post-communist country of

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

. Issues include air and

water pollution Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities, so that it negatively affects its uses. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. ...

, poor

waste management Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitorin ...

infrastructure and

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated ...

. The Albanian

environmental movement The environmental movement (sometimes referred to as the ecology movement), also including conservation and green politics, is a diverse philosophical, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues. Environmentalists a ...

includes around 40 active non-government organisations.

Issues

Air pollution

Air pollution Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different typ ...

is a major environmental issue in the bigger cities of Albania, especially the capital,

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

. 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 NO₂ in Tirana are above the limit values of National Air Quality Standard and

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...

Water pollution

Water pollution Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities, so that it negatively affects its uses. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. ...

in 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.

Lanë The Lanë ( sq-definite, Lana) is the main stream that crosses through Tirana, the capital of Albania. Its source is in the mountains east of Tirana. Although once clean, it now carries sewage. During the 1990s, many illegal kiosks and buildings ...

and

Ishëm (river) The Ishëm (or Ishmi; sq, Lumi i Ishmit) is a river in western Albania, which brings water to the area north of the Albanian capital, Tirana. It forms part of a watercourse ( Tiranë- Gjole-Ishëm), but only the lower third of the watercourse i ...

are clean at their source, but once they enter Tirana, their water is several times more polluted than allowed standards. 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.

Waste

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%. 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. The rest is mostly landfilled. Awareness on waste recycling is low.

Litter Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. Litter can also be used as a verb; to litter means to drop and leave objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups ...

ing and dumping trash remains a serious problem for Albania.

Deforestation

Illegal logging Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corruption, corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, o ...

is the main threat to Albanian forests. The other threat comes from forest fires which in the last years have intensified. Albania had a 2018

Forest Landscape Integrity Index The Forest Landscape Integrity Index (FLII) is an annual global index of forest condition measured by degree of anthropogenic modification. Created by a team of 48 scientists, the FLII, in its measurement of 300m pixels of forest across the globe ...

mean score of 6.77/10, ranking it 64th globally out of 172 countries.

Environmental movement in Albania

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.

References

{{Environmental issues in Europe Environment of Albania