Second Environmental Performance Review of Albania

Chapter 1: Policymaking framework for environmental protection and sustainable development11Table 1.1: Indicators for the water supply and sanitation sector, and environment sector in the NationalStrategy for Development and IntegrationSector Indicator Breakdown SourceWater supply andBy income levelsanitationEnvironmentProportion of householdswith water supply andsanitation inside the dwellingProportion of samples of 54water utilities tested negativefor coliform and chlorineresidualAverage yearly concentrationof PM 10 ,SO 2 ,NO 2 in fourcitiesTirana,Shkodra,Durrģs,ElbasanLiving Standards MeasurementSurvey(every three years)Source: National Strategy for Development and Integration for the period 2007-2013.Monitoring and Benchmarking Unit,General Department of Water andSanitationInstitute of Public Health; Ministry ofEnvironment, Forests and WaterAdministrationNES2 focuses mainly on short-term measures andpresents a list of institutions responsible forimplementation of each measure and the estimatedcost. Finally, it underlined the importance ofcoordination among relevant institutions, monitoringprogress and reporting. NES2 recommendedestablishing new bodies, e.g. an environmentcommission, inter-ministerial task groups,environmental units and environmental officers.However, this recommendation was not fullyimplemented.In 2007, a new strategic document was adopted, theEnvironmental Cross-cutting Strategy (ECS). Itsdevelopment was based on NES2 in order to providea document on the environment for the NSDI. TheECS was drafted and discussed with the broadparticipation of ministries and interested groups.The document provided a general review of the stateof the environment pointing out the impacts on theenvironment of different sectors. The documentidentified measures to tackle these impacts. Generalgoals set by the ECS were:• Compliance with EU and WHO standards (air,water supply and treatment, noise, urban waste,protected areas);• Reduction of greenhouse gas emission andozone-depleting substances;• Protection and maintenance of all surface andunderground water resources;• Protection and improvement of soil (maximisingfertility, minimising erosion and preventingpollution);• Protection of biodiversity and protected zones;• Development of more effective and integratedregional planning;• Restoration of seriously damaged areas.The ECS defined the tasks of institutions and groupsresponsible for the environment and also outlinedinstitutional and technical requirements. It identifieda range of indicators for monitoring the process(Table 1.2). The document estimated the tools andfinancial resources required. It also providedinvestment scenarios in different fields, e.g. wastemanagement and sanitation infrastructure for theperiod 2007-2014.In 2011, the Ministry of Environment, Forests andWater Administration (MoEFWA) prepared theReport on Monitoring of the Environmental CrosscuttingStrategy which identified importantdevelopments in environmental performanceindicators in the period 2007-2010.For example, cases of compliance with air qualitystandards increased from 54.5 per cent in 2007 to63.5 per cent in 2009. Cases of compliance withwater quality standards increased from 86.3 per centin 2007 to 87.16 per cent in 2009. The amount ofwaste going to sanitary landfills compared with thatdisposed of in dumpsites increased from 0 per cent in2007 to 40 per cent in 2010.In 2011, the Government adopted the National WasteManagement Strategy for the period 2010-2025which will be implemented in five-year phases. Thedocument outlines the phases and sets strategicobjectives of each. The Government has alsodeveloped a National Waste Management Plan.Based on this Plan, regional waste management plansfor the districts of Tirana and Elbasan have beendrafted (Chapter 7).The National Action Plan for the Management ofEnvironmental Noise was approved in 2011 by theDecision of the Council of Ministers (DCM) No. 123.