NCSA Albania Final Report

163 Pages·2007·1.26 MB·English

MINISTRY OF GLOBAL UNITED NATIONS
ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT
AND WATER FACILITY PROGRAM
ADMINISTRATION

PROJECT
“ALBANIAN NATIONAL CAPACITY SELF-
ASSESSMENT FOR GLOBAL
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT”

NCSA Albania
Final Report

September 2006
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The report is elaborated under UNDP/GEF National Capacity Self-Assessment for Global
Environmental Management project teams for Albania under the coordination and
supervision of Klodiana Marika – National Project Manager

The project expresses its special thanks to Dr. Taulant Bino Deputy Minister of
Environment, Forests and Water Administration and Dr. Pellumb Abeshi General
Secretary of Environment, Forests and Water Administration for their support and
valuable expertise given in the course of the project. Special thanks go to Mr. Batkuyag
Baldangombo UNDP cluster manager for his help and assistance throughout the project,
and to the Directorate of Nature Protection for their continuous help.

Thematic groups

Ferdinand Bego team leader for UNCBD
Andrian Vaso
Elvana Ramaj
Genti Kromidha

Perparim Laze, team leader for UNCCD
Valentina Suljoti
Vangjo Kovaci
Ferdi Brahushi

Thimaq Lako Forestry expert

Besim Islami team leader for UNFCCC
Energy and Environment for Sustainable Development Center

Contributing Authors

Klodiana Marika
Zamir Dedej
Ermira Fida
Pellumb Abeshi
Sajmir Hoxha
Taulant Bino

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List of Acronyms

AL Albania
APCD Action Plan to Combat Desertification
ASCI Areas of Special Conservation Interest
ASP Agricultural Services Project
ANFI Albanian National Forestry Inventory Project
AUT Agricultural University of Tirana (AUT)
BRI Biological Research Institute
CAMP Coastal Area Management Program
CBD Convention on Biological Diversity
CCD Convention to Combat Desertification
CCF UNDP Country Cooperation Framework
COP Conference of the Parties
EA Ecosystem Approach
EIA Environmental Impact Assessment
EU European Union
EEA European Environmental Agency
FPRI Forest and Pasture Research Institute
FRI Fishery Research Institute
FYROM Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
GDFP General Directorate of Forests and Pastures
GEF Global Environmental Facility
GEF/SGP Global Environmental Facility/Small Grant Program
GIS Geographic Information System
GoA Government of Albania
MDGs Millennium Development Goals
MKOE MillieuKontakt Ooast Europa
MNS Museum of Natural Sciences
MN Montenegro
FSD Forestry Services Directorates
MAP Mediterranean Action Plan
MoAFPC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Protection of Consumers
MoEFWA Ministry of Environment, Forest and Water Administration
MoTCYS Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports
MTBP Medium-Term Budget Program
NBSAPs National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans
NCNB National Council for Nature and Biodiversity
NEAP National Environmental Action Plan
NCSA National Capacity Self-Assessment
NCTA National Council of Territorial Adjustment
NGOs Non Governmental Organizations
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NSSED National Strategy for Socio-Economic Development
PEEN Pan European Ecological Network
REC Regional Environmental Centre
RDoAF Regional Directorates of Agriculture and Food
RoA Republic of Albania
SAA Stabilization and Association Agreement
SBSTTA Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
SC Steering Committee
SPAs Specially Protected Areas
SRF UNDP Country Strategic Results Framework
SRI Soil Research Institute
SU Sustainable Use
UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
UNDP United Nations Development Program
UNEP United Nations Environmental Program
WB World Bank
WCMC World Conservation Monitoring Centre
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
1.1. NCSA Objectives
1.2. Background to Albania
Physical and Socio-Economic Context
Environmental Strategies and Legislation
Institutional framework for the Environment
1.3. Methodology
1.4. Project Activities
1.4.1. Establishment of a NCSA co-ordination mechanism
1.4.2. Preparation of Stock-Taking Reports
1.4.3. Preparation of Thematic Profiles
1.4.4. Preparation of Report on Cross-Cutting Capacity constraints to global
environmental management
1.4.5. Drafting the National Capacity Self-Assessment Document and further steps

2. THEMATIC PROFILES AND PRIORITY ISSUES

2.1. United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity
Profile Summary
Priority issues for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity
2.2. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Profile Summary
Priority issues for implementing the Convention on Climate Change
2.3. United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
Profile Summary
Priority issues of implementing Convention to Combat Desertification

3. SUMMARY OF CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF THE RIO ENVIRONMENTAL CONVENTIONS IN ALBANIA

4. OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN ALBANIA
BASED ON THE RIO CONVENTIONS
Interlinking conventions – common needs
Individual conventions-specific needs

ANNEXES
ANNEX 1A Thematic Profile on the Convention on Biological Diversity
ANNEX 1B Thematic Profile on the Framework Convention on Climate Change
ANNEX 1C Thematic Profile on the Convention to Combat Desertification
ANNEX 2 Participants in the project
ANNEX 3 Documents Consulted (References)
ANNEX 4 Stakeholders
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Today’s growth in human population and a sharp increase in consumption have turned
environmental problems into issues of global significance. People have understood that
the future of our planet depends on how countries are able to agree on common rules to
ensure that human existence on the Earth lasts as long as possible. In 1983 the UN
General Assembly established the independent World Commission on Environment and
Development aiming to define global problems and seeking solutions thereto. The 1987
Brundtland Report Our Common Future (I, II) defined the principle of sustainable
development as development “which meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. The 1992
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro was a
major breakthrough in this respect, formulating the concept of sustainable development.

The principles of maintaining the quality of the environment and using its resources in a
balanced manner have been set out in three documents approved by the UN member
states, dealing with the different facets of the natural and human environment. These
documents are generally known as the Rio conventions:
(cid:131) The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, whose main
objective is conservation of biological diversity at its various levels, both
occurring naturally and in domesticated or cultivated form.
(cid:131) The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, whose
principal objective is to control and slow down the increase in anthropogenic
greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and to develop measures to
mitigate the effects of possible climate changes.
(cid:131) The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, whose principal
objective in the narrower sense is to put a stop to the worsening of the
environment in the arid climatic zone and in a broader sense to protect the soil
as a valuable global resource.

Albania has become a Party to three above-mentioned Conventions after 1990-s which
corresponds to the country’s change of regime and participation in international
agreements on environmental protection.
Albania ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity on January 1994. Albania
became a Party of the UNCCD on 2000 April 27, after its accession on December 1999.

As part of the global economic, cultural and environmental arena, Albania’s development
will only proceed by adequately taking into account, global processes and trends. The
principles of the conventions, as well as of the European Union environmental policy,
have been established as priority areas for the next ten years. Acceding to the conventions
means that the provisions thereof take precedence over domestic law and activities, and
countries are bound by the international commitments undertaken under the conventions.
Given the broad scope of application of the individual conventions, the specific nature of
local circumstances and the needs and interests of the states, the environmental and
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economic policy acts may in practice turn out to be in conflict with the objectives of the
conventions.

Albania, with the support of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), has
initiated a self-assessment process to lead to a better understanding of capacity
development needs in the context of Albania’s priorities for addressing global
environment challenges, and to gain a better understanding of how the global
environmental management system may assist Albania to address these capacity
development needs. The National Capacity needs Self Assessment (NCSA), project was
implemented by a broad-based working group and operating under the guidance of a
Steering Committee (SC), comprising significant stakeholders identified in NCSA
process. Steering Committee is composed by representatives of the Ministry of
Environment, Forests and Water Administration (Chair of the SC), Ministry of
Agriculture, Food and Consumer Protection (Institute of Soil Studies), Ministry of
Energy and Transport (National Agency of Energy, Ministry of Local Government, Non
Governmental Organizations (NGOs) such as ECAT Tirana and REC Albania.

The objective of the National Capacity Self Assessment was to assess capacity needs and
priorities with respect to the global environment and within the context of sustainable
development so that Albania can meet the requirements of the Global Environmental
Conventions in a coordinated and strategic manner. The NCSA took into account the
Conventions on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Land Degradation and was focus on
cross-cutting issues and synergies between the Conventions. The NCSA will result in the
preparation of a National Action Plan that will describe in practical terms the activities
should be implemented to address the capacity constraints identified in the assessment. In
addition to contributing towards global environmental goals, the NCSA will have direct
benefits for environmental management and sustainable development in Albania.
The project was introduced to the GoA and to the key stakeholders identified during the
inception workshop held in April 2005.
The first phase of the project was devoted to stock taking and collecting of baseline
information relating to the individual conventions.
In this phase the methodological guidelines for NCSA process was provided. The
assessment process consists in three levels namely systemic, institutional and individual.
In the second phase thematic profiles focused on the assessment of capacity needs for
implementation of each individual convention in Albania were developed. Capacity
constraints which were common to at least two conventions were addressed in the third
phase. Then the significance of the capacity constraints to successful implementation of
the conventions was subjected to a comparative assessment and in-depth analyses.

Identified Thematic Priority Issues
The thematic profiles are a thorough review of the progress made with each Rio
Convention in Albania in terms of:

(cid:131) Legal instruments and their effectiveness
(cid:131) National programs and projects
(cid:131) Implementation of convention issues in national programs
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(cid:131) Monitoring of adopted programs
(cid:131) Information management (databases)
(cid:131) Financing
(cid:131) Stakeholders involvement
(cid:131) Public awareness

The outlook for implementation of convention Annex 1 (a-c) contains the thematic
profiles for each of the three conventions.

The Thematic Profiles were then used to identify priority issues for implementing the
Conventions. The issues have been subdivided into general issues and specific subject
areas, and given their priority ranking.

The main priority issues for the successful implementation of the Convention on
Biological Diversity were identified as follows:

• There is a little capacity do design and manage properly new protected areas
without external financial and technical support.
• Weak capacity to elaborate feasible strategies, plans and programs. A
coordination and cooperation tradition in the process of planning by various
scientific and nongovernmental organizations is weak.
• Lack of integrated databases concerning biodiversity. Information management of
various institutions engaged with biodiversity monitoring is weak.
• Weak capacity to implement rehabilitation measures of degraded ecosystems and
recovery of threatened species.
• Weak capacity to conduct Biodiversity monitoring.
• Low level of awareness of decision makers concerning the biodiversity
conservation issues. The level of awareness among decision makers about the
issues of international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora is
extremely low in Albania. Customs services of Albania lack knowledge about the
guidelines of the Convention and Albania’s commitments before CITES.

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The main priority issues to the successful implementation of the Convention to Combat
Desertification were the following:

• Inadequate budget of institutions at central and local government to develop
and carry out works and investment on land protection
• Low awareness and knowledge of decision-makers concerning legal
framework on land and low technical level of legal experts
• Low awareness of decision-makers on land degradation/desertification issues
• Lack of needed budget and technical capacities to implement national
programs and lack of qualified staff both national and local level.
• Low awareness of general population concerning the environmental issues,
especially on land desertification/degradation issues.
• Inadequate institutional framework at central and local level to promote the
technical/scientific cooperation

Capacity constraints to successful joint implementation of the environmental
conventions

In the next stage each of the priority issues were reviewed and their associated capacity
constraints were identified. Chapter 3 summarizes the capacity constraints and whether
the constraints are at the systemic, institutional or individual level.

The following capacity constraints were identified from the analysis of joint
implementation of the conventions:

1. Poorly developed policies, legislations, strategies and programs and poor
integration of them into sectoral policies and development plans.

2. Relevant institutions are not able to implement policies, legislation, strategies and
programs

3. Low level of awareness of decision-makers and public about (global)
environmental issues

4. Underdeveloped system of data collection and information management

5. Poor Scientific Cooperation and Declining of Research Capacities

6. Inadequate enabling environment for technology transfer

Opportunities for Synergistic Environmental Management

Given that an important element of the project was to couple global environmental
management within the framework of national sustainable development priorities, an
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