PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Wetlands are among the most valuable and productive ecosystems on earth and offer important opportunities for sustainable development. However, there is a serious problem of loss and degradation of wetlands, particularly acute in the Mediterranean region. Wetlands constitute a large part of Albania’s natural environment and biodiversity. A preliminary list of around 60 wetlands in the country has been set up. There is a need to increase significantly the knowledge about these specific ecosystems and to produce inventories of these resources.
OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of the project was to build capacity, transfer know-how and establish a basis for the maintenance of the national wetland archives as a prerequisite for wetland conservation in Albania. Specifically, the project planned to - assess the situation and determine the national needs for capacity building regarding wetland inventory issues; - establish a basic infrastructure, i.e., hardware and software, in order to make relevant bodies capable of maintaining national wetland inventory archives; - build the capacity of relevant bodies, focussing on inventory and mapping issues, electronic data management and GIS, in order for these bodies to undertake wetland inventory actions; - apply the MedWet (a long-term EC-supported initiative) inventory at catchment, site and habitat levels on three sites; - disseminate project results; and - raise public awareness of a) the EU’s policy on wetland conservation, b) the MedWet initiative, c) wetlands values and d) the need for wetland inventory archives.
RESULTS
The project contributed to building national capacities in planning and preparing wetland inventories, established a network of institutions using the MedWet database, thereby standardising the information related to wetlands consistent with the MedWet method. The ALWET project was the first effort in Albania at drafting wetlands inventories as habitats . The adapted version of the MedWet database developed under the ALWET project was used by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Water Administration, five educational and research institutes, and two non-governmental bodies. The project trained 35 people representing government, scientific institutions, and environmental agencies on inventory and mapping issues, data management and GIS,using MedWet methodology. A detailed inventory was implemented in three pilot areas, at catchment, site, and habitat levels using information systems. The pilot application produced inventory archives (in MedWet format) and wetland maps of the sites and their catchments. The protocols, used in the inventory of the project areas at habitat level, may be replicated elsewhere. A GIS unit was established within ECAT Tirana as a focal point to house and maintain the national archives for wetlands in Albania . This unit carries out analysis of geographic data, mapping, and now has the capacities and the necessary infrastructure in terms of hardware and software for maintenance of wetland archives. At the international level, the activities of ECAT Tirana reached a wide audience by presentations at international meetings.Project activities were published on the EKBY and ECAT-Tirana websites. The ALWET technical publication (Fitoka and Hatziiordanou, 2006) targetted the scientific community, national administration and other interested bodies, with information on the technical aspects of the project methods and its results. The project contributed to building national capacities in planning and preparing wetland inventories, established a network of institutions using the MedWet database, thereby standardising the information related to wetlands consistent with the MedWet method. The ALWET project was the first effort in Albania at drafting wetlands inventories as habitats . The adapted version of the MedWet database developed under the ALWET project was used by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Water Administration, five educational and research institutes, and two non-governmental bodies. The project trained 35 people representing government, scientific institutions, and environmental agencies on inventory and mapping issues, data management and GIS,using MedWet methodology. A detailed inventory was implemented in three pilot areas, at catchment, site, and habitat levels using information systems. The pilot application produced inventory archives (in MedWet format) and wetland maps of the sites and their catchments. The protocols, used in the inventory of the project areas at habitat level, may be replicated elsewhere. A GIS unit was established within ECAT Tirana as a focal point to house and maintain the national archives for wetlands in Albania . This unit carries out analysis of geographic data, mapping, and now has the capacities and the necessary infrastructure in terms of hardware and software for maintenance of wetland archives. At the international level, the activities of ECAT Tirana reached a wide audience by presentations at international meetings.Project activities were published on the EKBY and ECAT-Tirana websites. The ALWET technical publication (Fitoka and Hatziiordanou, 2006) targetted the scientific community, national administration and other interested bodies, with information on the technical aspects of the project methods and its results.
