Tirana, Albania | December 23, 2024 – PPNEA, Albania’s pioneering environmental organization, has officially joined the Mediterranean Alliance for Wetlands, marking a significant step in the country’s conservation efforts. This membership strengthens Albania’s commitment to protecting wetlands while enhancing its presence in regional and international conservation initiatives.
The Mediterranean Alliance for Wetlands unites 29 organizations across 18 countries, encouraging collaboration to protect and sustainably manage wetlands, vital ecosystems for biodiversity, climate regulation, and local communities. The Alliance’s collaborative framework offers its members access to advanced restoration techniques, biodiversity monitoring tools, sustainable management practices, and advancing its ability to address ecological challenges. For Albania, this translates into a strengthened ability to influence international wetland conservation policies and expertise in designing restoration initiatives.
Wetlands are ecosystems with some of the highest biodiversity values and provide crucial services for human well-being, including water supply, flood and erosion control, fishing, and much more. PPNEA places a special focus on wetland ecosystems, not only for their extraordinary natural value but also because they are among the most threatened by human activity.
“In Albania, especially in recent years, wetlands face immense pressures driven by unsustainable infrastructural developments and mass tourism. A clear example is the illegal construction of the Vlora Airport in the heart of a protected wetland area, Vjosa-Narta, one of the most important wetlands in the country, internationally recognized for its high ecological value. Likewise, Similarly, the large-scale tourism projects proposed in Zvërnec, near the Narta Lagoon, underscore the unprecedented threats facing wetlands in our country.” said Aleksandër Trajçe, Director of PPNEA. – “PPNEA’s membership in the Mediterranean Wetlands Alliance strengthens our efforts to protect these extremely delicate ecosystems. It provides us with the hope, support, and international attention needed to emphasize that these natural assets must be preserved, not only for their invaluable contribution to our country but also for the shared natural heritage of the Mediterranean,” he added.
The RAMSAR Convention defines wetlands broadly, they encompass natural and human-made ecosystems such as lakes, rivers, marshes, estuaries, deltas, and even reservoirs. In Albania, wetlands occupy approximately 96,803 hectares, accounting for 3% of the country’s territory. Of this, natural wetlands cover 77,354 hectares (79.91%), comprising lakes, lagoons, estuaries, and other ecosystems. The diverse wetland inventory includes 16 complex wetland sites and 140 smaller wetlands, highlighting their ecological importance.
PPNEA aims to elevate its conservation efforts for wetlands of global significance, including the Vjosa-Narta Protected Landscape, Divjaka-Karavasta Lagoon, Prespa Lakes, and many others.
About PPNEA
Founded in 1991, the Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA) is the country’s first environmental organization. Through scientific research, community engagement, and strategic partnerships, PPNEA works towards bringing harmony between nature and human society in Albania.
About the Mediterranean Alliance for Wetlands
Established in 2017, the Mediterranean Alliance for Wetlands is a collaborative network of civil society and research organizations dedicated to preserving wetlands and rivers in the Mediterranean region. The Alliance supports its members through restoration projects, advocacy, and communication strategies to combat threats to these vital ecosystems.
For more information:
Lorena Pyze Xhafaj
Communications and Public Relations Officer, PPNEA
