National parks
Albania has the highest concentration of national parks in the world: twelve in all, covering 11% of the country. But don't expect any wonders. The "national park" classification here is entirely theoretical: the financial resources allocated to the protection of these areas are ridiculous. And as there are hardly any rangers to watch over them, national parks suffer from many evils: illegal deforestation, poaching, pollution, over-tourism, etc.
Albanian Alps National Park. Created in 2022, this is the largest national park in Albania: it covers 828 km2 in the north of the country, covering the whole of the Albanian Alps in Albania, around the Vermosh, Theth and Valbona valleys. It includes the former Theth and Valbona Valley national parks, as well as the Gashi nature reserve, part of which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Numerous hiking trails, including cross-border ones with Montenegro and Kosovo.
Mount Dajti National Park. Created in 2006, this 285 km2 park is close to Tirana. Accessible by car or cable car, it is above all a vast picnic area for the capital's inhabitants.
Hotova-Dangëll Fir National Park. Created in 2008, this park covers 346 km2 near Përmet. It owes its name to the Bulgarian fir(Abies borisii-regis), a thorny tree that can reach 25-30 m in height and is locally known as the "Hotova fir". Caves, springs and hiking trails.
Vjosa National Park. Created in 2023, this park covers 127 km2 near Përmet. The last wild river in Europe (outside Russia), the Vjosa was classified here thanks to the efforts of local residents and environmental activists. The government wanted to build dams and exploit the river's rich oil reserves.
KaraburunMarine National Park Sazan. Created in 2010, this park covers 124 km2 in the Bay of Vlora. Comprising the island of Sazan and the Karaburun peninsula, it is only accessible by boat. Summer excursions from the port of Vlora.
Lura National Park. Created in 1966, it now covers 193 km2 in the east of the country, near Peshkopi. Home to some beautiful glacial lakes, it has been ravaged by deforestation.
Mount Tomorr National Park. Created in 2012, it covers 292 km2, south of Berat. Relatively well preserved, it hosts Europe's largest Muslim pilgrimage every August, organized by the Bektashis.
Shebenik National Park. Created in 2008, this park covers 345 km2 in the mountains to the east of the country, near the town of Librazhd and along the North Macedonian border. It is home to glacial lakes and features the Balkan lynx on its logo. But this endangered feline is a victim of poaching.
Llogara National Park. Created in 1966, this 17 km2 park stretches over the magnificent Llogara pass, which marks the start of the "Albanian Riviera", south of Vlora. Beautiful wind-sculpted pines and breathtaking views of the Ionian Sea.
Divjaka-Karavasta National Park. Created in 2007, this 224 km2 park stretches between the town of Divjaka and the Karavasta lagoon, near Fier, on the Adriatic coast. Numerous bird species. Classified as a wetland of international importance by the Ramsar Convention.
Prespa National Park. Created in 2013, this park extends over 276 km2, around the Albanian parts of the two Prespa lakes, near Korça, bordering Greece and northern Macedonia. Numerous bird species. Classified as a wetland of international importance by the Ramsar Convention.
Butrint National Park. Created in 2000, this 86 km2 park near Saranda includes the Butrint archaeological site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Marshes, lakes, hills and forests on the shores of the Ionian Sea and opposite the Greek island of Corfu.
Natural hazards
Albania is at risk from earthquakes. It lies on the meeting zone of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, and the Adriatic microplate. This leads to earthquakes like the one in November 2019, which killed 51 people and injured over 3,000 in the Tirana-Durrës conurbation. The risks are exacerbated by non-compliance with earthquake-resistant building standards and the absence of urban planning. The country has also had to cope with increasingly severe flooding since the 2010s. This is due to human activity: deforestation, extraction of sand from rivers, real estate pressure on the coastline... not to mention the effects of global warming. The lack of coastal maintenance since the end of the Communist dictatorship has meant that the advancing sea is now visible to the naked eye in many areas.
The white gold rush
Along with Paraguay, Albania is one of the few countries in the world to generate all its electricity from hydroelectric power stations. Admittedly, this energy is carbon-free and renewable. But the construction of dams threatens biodiversity and the way of life of many inhabitants. Collectives are mobilizing and campaigning for more sustainable development based on activities such as green tourism. As an alternative, the NGO EcoAlbania is promoting diversification of the country's energy mix with other renewable energies, and improvement of the distribution system, which generates 30% losses.
Bulky waste
One of the most important environmental issues is waste management. There's the kind you see, just about everywhere, along roadsides, beaches, waterways... and the kind you hide, which is far more worrying. Albania allows the import of foreign waste, mainly from Italy, whose "management" is often entrusted to mafia organizations. What's more, only 20% of household waste is recycled. In 2022, six municipalities (out of 61) had "blue garbage cans", including Himara and Saranda on the "Albanian Riviera". There are an estimated sixty unauthorized rubbish dumps, where an informal sorting trade provides a small income for Roma ragpickers. Another sensitive and growing issue is air pollution. This is largely due to the outdated car fleet, which emits fine diesel particles. Whereas during the Communist era, there were just 3,000 cars, now car traffic is suffocating the cities, where the prevalence of respiratory illnesses is on the rise. In Tirana, the municipality has tackled the issue by increasing the surface area of green spaces, improving road infrastructure and introducing bicycle lanes.
