Environmental policy and administrative management

This project aims at introducing and testing community based methods of forest and pasture management in the Karaburuni peninsula in Albania. Karaburuni peninsula forms the western part of the Vlora bay and together with Sazani Island has been identified as a priority action by many recent environmental policy documents of the Government of Albania. At the present the area has been given the status of the protected area. Today, mainly the oaks grow in valleys and in dry river canyons. The most important vestiges of the wind-sculpted maquis forests still flourish on Sazani Island and along the Karaburuni Peninsula. As a restricted area for almost 40 years, since 1990 it has been impacted by overgrazing and fires applied by the shepherds The Mediterranean proper, was formerly forested with live oaks, pines, cedars, wild carob and wild olive. Much of the today formation is considered a subclimax developed on degraded and eroded soils and maintained in part by fire and goats. Where fires have been prevented (and grazing also) for 50 years or more, a forest of live oaks has developed. Some believe with even more prolonged suppression of fire, an oak savanna--perhaps the real climatic climax--would occur. This project will try to establish a dialogue with the local communities regarding the protection of the remaining forests along the valleys as well as explain to the locals possibilities that exist for the creation of an oak savanna type of ecosystem that could allow grazing and light fires.

Albania