In the last 20 years, Albania has undergone profound transformation in terms of spatial distribution of human activities, and in the standard of living in urban areas, especially for those areas that are growing rapidly. Emigration and urbanization brought a structural shift away from agriculture and toward industry and service, allowing the economy to begin producing a variety of services - ranging from banking to telecommunications and tourism. Migration towards coastal areas combined with rapid and largely unregulated urban, tourism and industrial development have led to water pollution, soil erosion, and over fishing, threatening marine and coastal biodiversity and the sustainability of ecosystem goods and services. This has resulted in one of the highest rates of biodiversity loss in Europe.

Pollution of marine and coastal waters is increasing, especially in lagoons. Most pollution comes from urban and industrial waste, sewage, and chemicals used in agriculture; in addition, the impact of climate change is seen in rising sea levels, changing ecosystems in lagoons, increased frequency and intensity of floods, introduction of alien and invasive species from warmer regions, and a decrease in some marine and coastal populations of fish and invertebrates.

UNDP and AICS (the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development), to ensure comprehensive and effective management of the coastal and marine environment of Albania, are working in collaboration with the National Agency for Protected Areas (NAPA) to improve the coverage of marine and coastal protected areas throughout Albania that complement the existing system of terrestrial parks, with the main goal to secure the long-term protection of Albania’s unique coastal and marine biodiversity for current and future generations;

As such, the project will focus on developing a scientifically designed, stakeholder supported network of MCPAs to effectively protect 30% of representative marine and coastal habitats of Albania, providing ecosystem benefits while supporting healthy fisheries (increase in diversity, density, biomass and reproductive capacity) and livelihoods for fishers and their families; ensuring living diversification opportunities such as sustainable tourism development based on a healthy environment; and building an ecosystem resilient to climate and human induced impacts.

The specific project objective is to develop MCPA network which aims to maintain healthy, productive and resilient ecosystems, providing required ecosystem services for communities, but, allowing recovery and maintenance of the marine biodiversity of Albania, therefore

The main distinct areas of development where project will focus are:

-          intensifying and strengthening management activities for Karaburuni-Sazani MPA to prove that MCPAs can effectively protect marine biodiversity, maintain/restore ecosystem health and provide a sustainable source of economic growth;

-          replicating this model across Albania’s coastal and marine areas through the development of a scientifically designed and multiple objective-based network of MCPAs;

-          strengthening the governance-based institutional support to the MCPAs network and the inter-sectoral coordination and collaboration.

Expected results:

• Priority areas for MCPA network protection characterized, including location, size and distribution of sites based on species life history factors and habitat types, to increase coverage of the coastal and marine protected areas of Albania through the engagement and contribution of experts and user groups/stakeholders.
• The Management Committee of the Karaburuni-Sazani MPA, the National Park Llogara and the Natural Complex Karaburuni-Rreza e Kanalit-Orikum-Tragjas-Dukat is operative and addressing immediate and unanticipated needs to natural resource management on an on-going basis.
• An inter- and intra-government agency decision-making model (set of protocols and procedures) is developed to collaboratively address management issues concerning the MCPA network throughout Albania, both for long-term planning purposes and immediate and unanticipated needs to natural resource management, on an on-going basis.
• Development Scorecard for MCPAs shows an increased systematic, institutional and individual capacity by at least 20% in each category.
• A Strategic Plan for the Information Centre of Karaburuni-Sazani MPA, including an environmental education and awareness raising plan and a financial plan developed and made operative by implementing identified priority actions; the current Sustainable Tourism Plan implemented; at least 2 hotel owners in Vlora Bay engaged in a certification process; An assessment completed contributing to transition to Sustainable Fisheries as by EU Maritime and fisheries policies 2014-2020

The immediate global biodiversity benefits include expanded protected coverage (by at least 13,000 ha) for unique marine, lagoon, wetland, and cape habitats hosting critically endangered, threatened and near-threatened species such as Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles, Mediterranean seal, Dalmatian pelican, threatened birds-of-prey and fish species, corals, sponges, sea-grasses and other important habitats and species.

The project is fully aligned with the priorities of the National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP), which put priority on establishing marine protected areas to conserve the unique marine biodiversity of Albania. The Albanian Government intends to double the PA surface and expand the MPA coverage, ensuring better bio-geographical representation, as well as higher management effectiveness, and diversification of revenue sources. Thus, project outcomes will feed into the MoEFWA policies aimed at the expansion and improvement of the network of MPAs.

The main project outputs will focus on Developing the Strategic Plan of MCPA (SPMCPA) including MCPA expansion scenario with a 10-year vision; Developing of a simple monitoring system for the MCPA to be applied in local level; particular support to the Karaburun–Sazani MPA administration and the other relevant local institution on the smooth monitoring system implementation resolving conflicts, contradictions and/or overlapping among national and local institutions; A guidance on the implementation and enforcement of the MPA expansion, covering issues such as: restrictions on construction along the coast, introduction / amendment of tourism loads indicators, ban on fires, regulation of livestock pastures in the coastal lagoons and wetlands etc; Development of a guide document on establishing financial mechanism for the MCPA; The project will further support the MPA in the Karaburuni-Sazani locality including developing of management and business plans, capacitating and equipping the management unit as well as support conservation facilities and infrastructure for it, conservation and monitoring activities; Creation of buffer zones for the existing coastal PAs and the new MPAs; Create and support the cross-sectoral forum on PA management with advisory function at the Ministry level, bringing together relevant sectors and institutions (e.g., fisheries, agriculture, tourism, physical planning), protected area site managers, NGOs, and representatives of the main user groups in and around Albania’s coastal and marine protected areas. The forum’s primary counterpart would be the General Directorate of Environmental Policy; A system-level MCPA management effectiveness assessment for all coastal and marine PAs (METT); Provide technical Extension Services under the roof of MoEFWA or the Forum providing guidance to site managers on cost-effective management and conservation approaches; Seminars, workshops and trainings to increase the capacities of the site managers (particularly on PA management and business planning, participatory PA Management Boards, MBD conservation measures and monitoring;

main partnerships include Ministry of Environment, Forestry, Water Administration, Protected Areas Administrations, Local Authorities, Organizations of Fishery Management (OFM), several local and national NGOs focused on MPA and MBD;

The project timefare captures the period 2011-2015,