Activities in Albania

Project for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Divjake-Karavasta National Park with Participation of Local Governments and Stakeholders

Background of the Project:

Based on the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan of 2000, the Government of Albania aims to conserve biodiversity through the designation of the new Protected Areas or extension of the existing ones. In this context, the elaboration of management plan of Protected Areas, as well as its implementation is the government's priority.

The National Park Divjake-Karavasta is one of the extended Protected Areas in Albania which is one of the most beautiful and preferred places in the sea coast. Furthermore, the park is the part of the coastal area of the country which is estimated as the most important and valuable from the economic in two aspects: the sustainable development and the environment protection.

Increasing number of visitors to the park is recently concerned as a potential threat to biodiversity of the area. Therefore a better management based on sustainable development is needed urgently. Though the Government of Albania is trying to elaborate management plan for all national parks including this park, it faces limited experience and capabilities of staff, lack of equipment and budget. In this context, the Government of Albania requested the Government of Japan for technical cooperation to manage the Divjake-Karavasta Park appropriately by applying utilized experience to manage protected areas in Japan.

• Project type: Technical Cooperation Project
• Project objective: System for conservation and sustainable use of the Divjake-Karavasta National Park based on a management plan is established with active participation of local governments and stakeholders.
• Project sites: Divjake-Karavasta National Park
• Duration: April 2012 – April 2014
• Executing Organization: Ministry of Environment, Forests and Water Administration
• Outputs:

1. A management plan of conservation and sustainable use of Divjake-Karavasta National Park is elaborated with participation of local governments and stakeholders.
2. Implementation know-how of the National Park management plan is understood among targeted group through some actions based on the management and action plan.
3. The elaboration and implementation methodology of national park management plan for conservation and sustainable use is disseminated to stakeholders of other protected areas (including national parks) of Albania.