Albania impacted by climate change, says UN

TIRANA, June 11 – Albania and the United Nations Development Programme launched a new project Wednesday titled “Identification and Implementation of Adaptation Response Measures in the Drini-Mati River Deltas, ” implemented in the context of the One UN Programme in Albania.
The latest UN report on Climate Change has confirmed the warming of our climate affects human activity, social and economic life and warns us that unless we act now, the consequences can be serious, such as rising sea levels, melting ice caps and glaciers, severe weather events, droughts, flooding, warming, and changing ecosystems. Albania, like other countries in the world is not immune to such impacts, despite different contributions to the greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate change is expected to affect Albania with increased temperatures, less precipitation and rise in sea levels. This may hinder economic and social progress and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, if not addressed in a timely manner. A set of sectors and areas in the country have been identified to be at high risk including water resources, hydro-energy, coastal zone, ecosystems and agriculture.
UNDP Albania, local authorities and other partners are being proactive and focusing on adaptation actions needed for the area of Drini-Mati River Deltas – the area harboring biodiversity values of global and national significance. The high vulnerability of the Drini Mati River Deltas, combined with the likelihood of significant adverse impacts on the preservation of global biodiversity indicate an urgent need for all actors to take into account the impacts of climate change into all future actions aimed at promoting sustainable development in this area.
The project will assist Albania in implementing strategies to moderate, cope with, and take advantage of the consequences of climate change. The project builds on previous UNDP support to climate change, and will help to pilot identification and implementation of adaptation measures through a combination of technical and institutional capacity development. Adaptation measures implemented on the ground will include; coastal dune habitat restoration, the modification of protection planning and coverage for the Drini Mati River Deltas, and other landscape-wide adaptation policy measures.
The project is expected to last for four years.