United Nations: Waste management in Albania has serious problems

2024-01-23 07:07:52, Denoncim CNA

The Economic Commission for Europe at the United Nations has reviewed the periodic report for our country this January, focusing on some of the most significant developments, a good part of which were noted as early as November 2023.

Touching on the issue of increased immigration as a result of differences in the standard of living or the shrinking of the working-age population, the report also focuses on the energy sector and waste management. Regarding the latter, there is only one sentence that briefly presents the state of how this aspect is perceived for our country.

Specifically, in the section "diversification and increasing efficiency would increase energy security" it is stated: greenhouse gas emissions in Albania are much lower than those in the region, while energy efficiency is relatively high.

Electricity production relies almost exclusively on hydropower, which still offers untapped potential for development.

However, the country still needs to import electricity during dry periods, while losses in the sector represent more than a fifth of electricity supply.

Albania is exposed to earthquakes and floods, which increases environmental vulnerability and, given the current supply structure, undermines energy security. Waste management presents serious shortcomings.

The report does not provide further details regarding what is defined as the shortcomings of waste management or the weaknesses that are identified. Currently, waste management in the country is oriented in two directions.

First, with the landfills that have been supported by several loans from the German bank and that have taken place in some regions of Albania, where recently the circular economy is also being given a voice.

The latest is the project that is being supported by the European Union for a value of 19 million euros under the "EU Circular Economy - Regional Waste Management Program" project, which aims to support Albania in increasing recycling, setting up landfills and managing of waste in accordance with European Union practices. In this case, this project specifically supports the regions of Gjirokastra, Vlora, South as a whole and Kukës.

Another on-site management alternative is through incinerators that are currently under investigation by SPAK. In August last year, this institution seized the Tirana incinerator, while earlier in 2022, the one in Fier was seized, and after the investigation was closed, the case ended with the conviction of a number of people. The incinerator of Elbasan, on the other hand, is under the management of the municipalities of this district.

Waste management has presented serious problems over the years, despite the measures or guidance given by the government, where in some cases this happened at the peak of the season, while the most recent problematic case was the fire in the Vlora landfill that lasted for days, polluting coastal city. / Monitor.al