Bio-diversity

One of the main problems in the Prespa Park is the overexploitation of the oak forest for fire wood production and grazing. Due to restrictions applied in the last 5-8 years part of the forest has been growing beyond the critical height that makes it no longer vulnerable to grazing of the apical stems. Now, it is necessary to open these areas to controlled grazing and in this way returning to the local communities their traditional grazing rights and traditional forest use. This project also addresses a fundamental flaw in the current nature protection policies for the Protected Areas (PA) in Albania. The issue stands on the fact that who carries the extra economic burden created due to restrictions that are necessary either for the restoration or conservation of biodiversity in these areas. As it is now, we expect the locals to carry most of such burden exacerbating existing problems of already poor local economies. The result of these policies is frequently either lack of interest by the locals or even alienation and negative reaction toward nature conservation policies that are prepared in the context of the management plans of the area Instead, management costs of PAs that are zones of national interest should be carried by the society as a whole. This project works in this direction by helping locals to preserve traditional lifestyles and at the same time reduces the cost associated with a sustainable usage of natural resource.

Albania