Endri Haxhiraj, Edvin Pacara, Institute for Environmental Policy
Translated by Kledina Skendo, Volunteer IEP
The anxiety for the next Mayor of Tirana of 2015-2019 mandates began before the official campaign. This is because the largest municipality in the country will include also the communes with significant populations as Farka, Kashari, Dajtit etc.
Because in these elections the subject is to increase the welfare of inhabitants, the expectations of voters are maximal. This year, residents want to improve the quality of their lives and children. For this reason, the Institute for Environmental Policy addresses to the candidates for mayor of Tirana, 10 environmental issues that have increased sensitivity to residents of Tirana and requiring faster solutions.
Besides environmental pollution or threat to public health, these issues constitute the everyday concerns of residents turned into anxiety and stress:
1. Resolving the issue of parking in Tirana by building parking lots with floors below and above ground. Few parking spaces of Tirana can not be occupied by private individuals to issue profit or depreciated cars;
2. The management of stray dogs through sterilization and release. Residents want the dogs to be cured and managed but not be killed;
3. Greening of Tirana and especially the suburb e.g., opening new spaces with green areas between residential centers, promoting the establishment of plants in terraces, as well as the free use of land in the city to create public parks;
4. A proper management of waste by inserting separate waste collection, education and the obligation of inhabitants to share the remains before they throw them, and close cooperation with recycling business;
5. Creating adequate routes for bicycle because many residents keep their bicycles locked at home and are forced to use the car on security issues, bicycle routes should take precedence and be connected with each other and extend all over the city;
6. Make drinking water available more hours a day and improve infrastructure for residents to save on buying it with bottles, while the water in the source is qualitative, reducing waste and the production of plastic from plastic bottles of water;
7. Creating spaces for recreations e.g., playgrounds for children, for the elderly etc. Children today play football in the streets of neighborhoods, endangering their lifes or damage the vehicles parked there. Municipality should put in the construction permission the obligation for the companies that builds the palace, to construct an open playground angle for children within the territory of the palace;
8. Measures against flooding from the rain in the city or near rivers, paving the bed covered with garbage from the Tirana river and return it at the previous bed which was wide, with gravel that does not cause flooding;
9. Continuous demarcation of the roads, adjusting the lighting, lids of manholes and traffic lights when they break down, to ensure more for the pedestrian life;
10. Education of children with love for the nature and integrating community work in all city schools the idea of gardens and greenhouses for flowers and vegetables.
We think that these suggestions if they were realized would have immediate impact on improving the quality of life in Tirana and will open the chapter of the city’s sustainable development.
