Second Environmental Performance Review of Albania

Chapter 8: Forestry, biodiversity and protected areas119Table 8.4: Development of protected area (PA) network, 2002 and 2011National PA category IUCN PA number PA surface (ha) PA category share incategorythe total surface ofPAs (%)2002 2011 2002 2011 change 2002 2011Strict nature reserve / I 4 2 14,500.0 4,800.0 -9,700.0 8.78 1.27scientific reserveNational park II 12 15 25,890.0 188,945.4 163,055.4 15.68 49.89Nature monument III 300 750 4,360.0 3,470.0 -890.0 2.64 0.92Managed nature IV 26 21 42,960.0 67,423.9 24,463.9 26.01 17.80reserve/natural parkProtected landscape V 3 5 59,200.0 95,864.4 36,664.4 35.85 25.31Protected area of managed VI 4 4 18,245.0 18,245.0 .. 11.05 4.82resources /protected areawith multiple useTotal 349 797 165,155.0 378,748.7 213,593.7 100 100Share of PA in the territory 5.7 13.2 7.4of Albania (%)Sources: State of Environment Report, 1999; Ministry of Environment, Forests and Water Administration, 2011;author’s own calculations.Legal and policy frameworkThe most important strategies towards thedevelopment and strengthening of the nationalecological network is the completed PoWPA for theperiod 2006-2009, which has immediately beenfollowed by the currently ongoing PoWPA for theperiod 2009-2013. The latter Programme plans afurther increase of protected area network coverageup to 17 per cent of Albanian territory by the end of2013.Other priorities for the near future are monitoring andinventories in protected areas, as well asimplementation of existing valid protected areamanagement plans and revision or development ofsuch documents for the other remaining areas.Management plans have so far been elaborated for 4national parks of the 15 designated so far, namely forDajti National Park (29,384.18 ha), Butrinti NationalPark (8,591.2 ha) and the Llogara–KaraburunPeninsula (31,380 ha), which encompasses Llogara(1,010 ha) and Karaburun–Sazan (12,428 ha)National Parks. Management plans are also availablefor Vjosë–Nartë Protected Landscape Area (19,738ha) and Kune–Vain–Tale Managed Nature Reserve(4,393.2 ha).Two more management plans are currently inpreparation, for Lake Shkoder Managed NatureReserve (26,535 ha) and Lumi Buna–VelipojëProtected Landscape Area (23,027.0 ha), and forPrespa National Park (27,750 ha). Implementation ofmanagement plans has been undertaken by theadministrations of Dajti National Park, LlogaraNational Park, Karaburun–Sazan National Park andVjosë–Nartë Protected Landscape Area.Due to the budgetary constraints, progress inelaborating protected area management plans is slowand mostly dependent on the availability of externalfinancial support while their effectiveimplementation remains the future task for themajority of protected area administrations.The 2000 NBSAP redefined the Albanian protectedarea network according to CBD requirements, andwas followed by adoption of the 2002 Law onProtected Areas. Some new acts relevant to protectedareas have been adopted, e.g. the 2002 DCM onListing the Butrinti Wetland Complex as a RamsarSite, No. 531, the 2002 DCM on Declaration ofNature Monuments, No. 676, the 2003 Law on theProtection of Transboundary Lakes, No. 9103, the2003 DCM on the Administration of ProtectedZones, No. 266, and the 2003 DCM on ProceduresRegulating Proposals and Declaration of ProtectedAreas and Buffer Zones, No. 267.The 2002 Law on Protected Areas was significantlyamended in 2008 by inclusion of the main provisionsof the Habitats Directive, e.g. providing the legalbasis for both the selection of protected areas to berecognized as special areas of conservation (SACs),and the assessment of habitats.