Second Environmental Performance Review of Albania

Chapter 8: Forestry, biodiversity and protected areas121In 2011, MoEFWA drafted the DCM on the Rulesand Procedures for the Designation of SpeciallyProtected Areas, aimed at full transposition ofannexes III and IV to the Habitats Directive, and theDCM on the Designation of the Natural EcosystemKorab–Koritnik as a Managed Nature Reserve,(together with the required proclamation study anddigital map). Their approval was expected in 2012.The management plan for Butrinti National Park andfor Kune–Vain Managed Nature Reserve wasapproved in 2011.Future plans resulting from the national strategiesrelated to protected areas include the implementationof the Emerald network of ASCIs as a contribution toPEEN and PEBLDS, and review of the nationalPoWPA in light of new developments from theCBD’s COP 10 held in Nagoya, Japan, in October2010.Institutional frameworkThe institutional framework for protected areadesignation and management has gone throughseveral changes in recent years. Initially, theresponsibilities for protected areas were assigned tothe Ministry of Environment, but the Ministry ofAgriculture and Food (through its GeneralDirectorate for Forests and Pastures) retainedresponsibility for protected areas administration.Such unclear division of responsibilities between thetwo ministries to a large extent prevented theeffective implementation of the national natureconservation policy defined in the BiodiversityStrategy and Action Plan for the period 2000-2015.In 2005, the competencies for protected areas weretransferred to MoEFWA, as more relevant for natureprotection issues. Protected areas are currentlyamong the responsibilities of MoEFWA’s GDEP,namely its two technical directorates, the DB and theDFP.The DB is responsible for the protection of naturalhabitats and ecosystems, protected areas and naturemonuments, and for conservation of wild fauna andflora species. Its Sector for Protected Areas andNational Parks employs three specialists. The role ofthe DB is limited to drafting legislation related to theprotected areas and policies towards the developmentand strengthening of the national ecological network,developing the Emerald network and Ramsar sitenetworks, and identifying IBAs and IPAs as well aspotential SPAs and SACs.The DFP is responsible for the administration andmanagement of protected areas. The DFP executingagencies operate in all 12 regions, and the DFSDsmanage national parks and other protected areasinvolving forestry land. The law enforcement andcontrol functions in protected areas are performed bythe Forestry Police.Pursuant to the 2005 Government Decision on theProtected Areas Committee, all protected areas incategories II and IV should have their localmanagement committees, as participatory structuresinvolving local stakeholders (e.g. local governmentrepresentatives, communities, landowners, NGOs andentrepreneurs) in site planning and management.Such management committees have so far beenestablished for some national parks. Protected areasare designated by a DCM, while the roles ofMoEFWA include preparation of the requireddocumentation for any new proposal, including theGIS map and the detailed functional zoning patternproposed for the areaThe fees collected by the respective communes, andrevenues gained from tourist and recreational uses ofthe protected area, usually neither contribute to thebudget for nature protective measures to be applied inthe area, nor compensate for the damage to natureresulting from intensive recreational uses, which arenot always compatible with the main objectives ofthe protected area designation.In very few cases where some basic facilities (e.g.buildings planned for visitor centres) are owned bythe protected area administration, they remain eithernot fully equipped to perform such functions, orcompletely unused, due to budgetary constraints.This results in a lack of sustainable and stablefunding (or project external funding) for theircompletion, maintenance and operations.8.5 Conclusions and recommendationsThe ongoing transfer of the ownership, rights to use,and responsibilities for the management of theplanned 60 per cent of Albania’s forests and pasturesto local communes would require continuous supportand capacity-building for the communal forestowners.This change has already had an impact on theinstitutional structures and staff of the forestryservices directorates, while other potential effects ofthe above change, if improperly managed, on thestate of forests (both State and communally owned)can hardly be predicted.