TIRANA- Albanian Development Fund several days ago organized a training with local authorities, civil society organizations and authority management of protected areas. The training took place in Shkodra and was focused in common strategies and best practices on improving the regional protection of ecosystems in Lake Shkodra and Buna River.

This training was organized in the framework of IMPRECO project, funded by the European Regional Development Fund through Interreg ADRION programs, where ADF is the partner institution for Albania.

IMPRECO aims to establish a network of EU member countries and neighboring countries that are in a membership application process, with the purpose of applying common strategies and policies for protecting ecosystems from human activity and improving services offered in these areas.

 

This training gathered different stakeholders with direct interest and responsibilities for Lake Shkodra and Buna River. Stakeholders were divided into four categories based on the principle of quadruple helix and include: local communities and the latest users (inhabitants, fishermen, beekeepers, etc.), businesses, local government institutions, and academic circles.

This meeting was an open forum where stakeholders were acquainted with the activities and expected outcomes of IMPRECO project. They discussed freely about the issues that need to be addressed to ensure the sustainable use of the protected area of Lake Shkodra and Buna River. At the end of the discussions, were created a joint Task Force, which will serve as a structure of local networks linking protected areas with interest groups. Following this, we hope to foster co-operation among various stakeholders and harmonize their interests for a sustainable impact on protecting ecosystems and improving their services.