Tulipa albanica habitat declared a Nature Monument

Thursday May 11th, 2023 / IEP

After advocating for more than 4 years, with the support of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, the team of the Institute for Environmental Policy reached the main goal of the long campaign and study work, by having the habitat of Tulipa albanica declared a Protected Area under Category III by the Government of Albania. IEP’s work was supported by crucial stakeholders, like botanists Besnik Hallaçi and Arben Palushi, the Regional Administration of Protected Areas of Kukës, Kukës Municipality and Kukës Region, INCA NGO and civil society of Kukës, and by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment.
The decision was taken by the Council of Ministers on 13 March 2023, and entered into force on 16 March 2023.
The decision can be read here, in Albanian.
The Nature Monument has an area of 35.5 ha and a buffer zone of 200 m around the border of the area, extending on an altitude of 550-750 m a.s.l.

Completion of the climate reforestation activities for the planting season of autumn 2022-winter 2023

Saturday March 11th, 2023 / IEP

IEP concluded this year’s reforestation campaign which lasted from October 2022 to beggining of March 2023, by planting 1468 black pine, umbrella pine, cedar, and laurel seedlings, together with 400 seeds of horse chestnuts. This activity was implemented as direct action to mitigate and adapt to climate change by engaging local communities and making them aware of the climate change and ways to mitigate it. Seedlings were planted in the protected areas of Divjakë-Karavasta, Kune-Vain (Lezhë), Korab-Koritnik (Kukës), and in Baldushk (Tiranë). Tens of volunteers and locals were engaged in this activity, which proved to be successful in raising awareness on climate change, and demand more direct action by the authorities.
This activity is supported by Minor Foundation.

Climate reforestation activitity in Kukës

Thursday March 9th, 2023 / IEP

IEP together with the rangers of the Korab-Koritnik Nature Park and the local community of the area, planted 320 black pines (Pinus nigra) as a direct action to mitigate and adapt to climate change by engaging local communities and making them aware of the climate change and ways to mitigate it. The reforestation activity was implemented on 27 January, which was also the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Albanian Forestry Service (27.01.1923). The planted trees are native to the area, and will contribute to the carbon sequestration and combat soil erosion.
This activity is supported by Minor Foundation.

Awareness raising action on sea level rise in Vlora

Thursday March 9th, 2023 / IEP

IEP raised the awareness of the citizens of Vlora on the near future that is expected to happen due to the climate crisis. The aim was to make citizens aware, to influence the policy process in taking measures to adapt to the sea level rise which is happening and will flood large part of the city in the coming decade. Around 500 citizens were reached, who also expressed their concern about the needs to take adaptation measures against the sea level rise.
This activity is supported by Minor Foundation.

Afforestation action by planting 500 stone pines in Divjakë-Karavasta National Park

Tuesday January 24th, 2023 / IEP

IEP joined tens of other volunteers in the afforestation action on 8 January, by donating and planting 500 stone pine (Pinus pinea) seedlings in the Divjakë-Karavasta National Park. This action will create in the coming years a barrier that will trap sand and thus create a barrier against the advancing sea. The pine trees will also capture CO₂ and thus contribute to the climate mitigation efforts to capture as much CO₂ as possible through afforestation. IEP will continue this activity by planting hundreds of other seedlings of different species, in other areas of Albania.
This activity is supported by Minor Foundation.

Awareness raising action on sea level rise in Durrës

Thursday January 5th, 2023 / IEP

IEP started an awareness raising week in Durres during the last week of 2022, to raise awareness on the sea level rise threat to the city due to climate change. IPCC scenarious are bleak for the coastal town of Durres, which is expected to have large parts of the city under water within 30 years. IEP member, Gentian Stafa, showed the foreseen scenarious for the city to its inhabitants, which are concerned about the future of their hometown.
This activity is supported by Minor Foundation.

Introduction of composting to youth

Monday December 19th, 2022 / IEP

This weekend, the Institute for Environmental Policy organized a field visit to introduce the composting process to youngsters. The project’s expert, Gentian Stafa, introduced the project that IEP is implementing in the framework of the Green-AL umbrella project. The project is promoting teaching farmers the composting process in the area of Baldushk, Tirana, and promoting the process further on. Youth got to know about the impact that organic waste has on climate when left to rot in an anaerobic process, and how the local farmers and the environment is benefitting from the humus that is produced during the composting process.
The project GreenAL “Empowerment of Civil Society Organizations for the protection of environment in Albania” is financed by the Swedish Sida agency and is being implemented by Co-PLAN Institute for Habitat Development in partnership with CISP Sviluppo dei Popoli, VIS Albania, and COSV – Cooperazione per lo Sviluppo.

IEP will participate in the Animal Politics World Conference in Brussels, 10-11 December 2022

Monday December 5th, 2022 / IEP

Reforestation campaign by planting horse chestnut from seeds

Thursday December 1st, 2022 / IEP

IEP concluded successfully the reforestation campaign during the months of October-November 2022 by planting over 600 seeds of horse chestnut trees (Aesculus hippocastanum) a native tree of Albania and a symbol of IEP.
This was the second campaign that IEP organized with the aim of expanding the population of horse chestnut trees in Albania, which is Critically Endangered in Albania.
During October-November 2021 IEP planted over 400 seeds of horse chestnut trees.
Seeds were collected and planted by IEP staff and volunteers. The areas reforested with horse chestnuts are the hilly areas of Baldushk and Farkë, Tirana, by selecting the optimal sites for the seeds to germinate and survive the hot summers.
During the monitoring of the germinated seeds in spring-summer 2022, IEP staff noticed a germination and survival or more than 80% of the seeds that were planted last year.
Besides horse chestnuts, IEP also planted a smaller number of native oak acorns like Quercus cerris, Quercus Frainetto, and Quercus petraea. This activity is a direct action against climate crisis/global heating. When the trees that IEP planted will be 6-7 years old, they sequester 10-20 ton of CO₂ annually.
This activity was supported by the Minor Foundation for Major Challenges through the project Climate action for Albania – Albanian Green Deal.