World Bank unveils Albania’s quake, flood-risk regions

TIRANA, Jan. 26 – Albania’s population and economy are exposed to both earthquakes and floods, with earthquakes posing the greater risk of a high impact, lower probability event, a World Bank report has warned. Taking into account a 2.9 million resident population and a GDP of $11.6 billion, the study unveils that the northern region of Shkoder, where the country’s biggest hydropower plants are situated, is at greatest risk of floods as has happened during the past 25 years of Albania’s transition also due to massive illegal construction and no appropriate drainage infrastructure. Meanwhile, the southwestern region of Fier and…