Lage

Balkanhalbinsel zwischen Serbien, Montengro und Griechenland. Im Westen liegt es mit einer Kstenlänge von 475 km am Adriatischen und am Ionischen Meer.

Fläche

gesamt: 28 748 qkm

Land

27 398 qkm

Wasser

1 350 qkm

Landesgrenzen

gesamt: 720 km

Grenzstaaten

Griechenland 282 km, ehemalige jugoslawische Republik Mazedonien 151 km, Jugoslawien 287 km (Serbien 114 km, Montenegro 173); Kste 362 km

Daten des Statistischen Bundesamtes
Bevölkerung	3,1	Mill.	2001
Fläche	28748	qkm	2001
Bevölkerungsdichte	107	Einw. je qkm	2001
Arbeitslosenquote	18,0	%	1999
Bruttoinlandsprodukt (BIP)	3752	Mill.US-$	2000
Jährliches BIP-Wachstum (real)	7,8	%	2000
BIP je Einwohner (real)	899	US-$	2000
Inflationsrate	0,1	%	2000
Importe	1091	Mill.US-$	2000
Exporte	261	Mill.US-$	2000
Saldo der Im- und Exporte	-829	Mill.US-$	2000
PKW-Dichte	37	je 1000 Einw.	2000
Personal-Computer	10	je 1000 Einw.	2001

Staatsform

Republik mit einem pluralistischem Parteiensystem. Das Staatsoberhaupt (Präsident) wird vom Parlament gewählt (5 Jahre, eimalige Wiederwahl möglich). Höchstes Organ der Exekutive ist der Ministerrat. Der Ministerpräsident ist der Vorsitzende des Minsterrates. Dieser ernennt die Minister, die vom Präsidenten bestätigt werden mssen. Das Parlament hat 140 Sitze, wovon 100 durch Diretktwahlen in Wahlkreisen besetzt werden und 40 von den Parteien entsprechend dem Wahlergebnis.

Verwaltungsstruktur

Albanien ist in 12 Präfekturen, 36 Bezirke, 43 Städte und 310 Gemeinden aufgegliedert. Die Brgermeister sowie die Gemeinde- und Bezirksräte werden direkt gewählt.

Hauptstadt

Tirana (ca. 650 000 EW)

Städte

Tirana, Hauptstadt, 650.000 EW; Durres (Durazzo), Haupthafen, 125.000 EW; Elbasan 101.000 EW; Shkoder 81.000 EW; Küstenstädte in Sdalbanien: Vlore 88.000 EW; Saranda 16.400 EW

Klima

mediterranes Klima – nasse Winter und hei� und trockene Sommer, das Landesinnere ist khler, in den Gebirgslagen strenge Winter

Landschaft

76% der Fläche Albaniens sind gebirgig, wobei die höchste Erhebung im Nordosten der Albanischen Alpen 2.751 m beträgt. Im Westen und im Zentrum Albaniens liegen Ebenen (24% der Fläche) mit Höhen um 200 m. Die drei größten Seen sind Shkodra, Ohri und Prespa. Die wichtigsten Flüsse sind Drini, Shkumbini und Vjosa, die alle in die Adria münden.

The World Bank approved a credit of SDR11.7 million (US$17.5 million equivalent) to Albania to help finance the Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Cleanup Project for Albania. The Project is the first phase of a two-phase Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Clean-up Program, which will be implemented over 7 years. The overall objective of the program is to protect the coastal natural resources and cultural assets and promote sustainable development of the Albanian coast.

The total cost of the Project is estimated at US$38.6 million, and will be financed by contributions from other co-financiers (a grant from the Government of the Netherlands of US$3.11 million, a grant from the European Commission of US$5.2 million, a grant from the Government of Austria of US$2.6 million and a grant from the Government of Japan of US$2.23 million). A US$0.95 million grant will be sought from the Global Environment Facility. Local governments and the government of Albania are expected to finance US$7.97 million.

The Bank is assisting in the implementation of several programs in the coastal zone: irrigation, drainage, water resources management, water supply, wastewater management, port development, fisheries, urban planning and community works. However, a comprehensive umbrella program will be put in place through this new project.

Task Team Leader Rita Cestti emphasizes that „such a comprehensive approach will contribute to an effective implementation of priority measures, will promote close coordination between line ministries and responsible authorities, and will help the Government play a catalytic role in harmonizing development assistance activities affecting Albania’s coastal zone and in mobilizing further donor support for the coast.“

The development objective of the project is to set up and initiate an integrated coastal zone management approach to reduce coastal degradation through strengthening regulatory policy and governance of the coastal zone, land use, and regional planning and institutional capacity at central, regional and local levels; initiating targeted municipal and community investments in the southern coast to improve environmental conditions, enhance cultural resources and encourage community support for sustainable coastal zone management; and reducing soil and groundwater contamination in the former chemical plant at Porto Romano. The Project contributes to the key pillars of the government’s National Strategy for Socio-Economic Development: improved governance and strong economic growth.

The project includes the following components: integrated coastal zone management policy and institutional capacity building; coastal environmental infrastructure and rehabilitation; Porto Romano hot-spot clean-up; and project management and monitoring.

Since Albania joined the World Bank in 1991, Bank commitments to the country total approximately US$792.5 million for 57 operations.

The World Bank approved the implementation of a Natural Resources Development Project for Albania. The project is funded by a grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Trust Fund of US$5.0 million, with expected contributions from other co-financiers (an IDA credit of US$7.0, and a grant of US$5.2 million from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) and the project beneficiary, Albania, (US$2.2 million) of about US$14.4 million equivalent.

The project’s development objective is to establish or maintain sustainable, community-based natural resource management in about 218 communes in upland and mountainous erosion-prone lands. This will lead to enhanced productivity and incomes derived from sustainable resource management, reduced soil degradation, improved water management, conservation of biodiversity, and strengthened public sector management of these resources. The project contributes to two key pillars of the government’s National Strategy for Socio-Economic Development: improved governance, and strong economic growth and poverty reduction.

The project’s global environmental objective is to reverse the severe degradation of upland and mountainous erosion-prone lands, and sediment runoff to the Adriatic Sea, through rehabilitating and sustainably managing natural resources, including globally significant biodiversity.

Task Team Leader John Fraser Stewart emphasizes that „rehabilitation and sustainable management of natural resources is key to improving the productivity and incomes in the Albanian upland areas, where poverty is mostly concentrated. Based on the successful experiences of communal forestry gained under the Albania Forestry Project, and community level microcatchment that has been introduced through World Bank projects in a number of countries in the region, the NRDP will improve productivity in the rural mountainous areas and contribute to overall poverty reduction and sustainable economic growth.“

The project will support improved management and governance of forests and pastures to strengthen participatory communal forest and pasture management in communes that were supported under the Albania Forestry Project (AFP); it will introduce participatory communal forest and pasture management in additional communes that were not supported under the AFP, and implement capacity-building measures and priority actions to improve the governance of forest and pasture resources. It will also, among other things, support improved management and governance of watersheds to pilot in 30 communes an integrated and multi-sectoral approach to planning and management of natural resources at the level of micro-catchments in three of Albania’s seven watersheds.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a mechanism for providing new and additional grant and concessional funding to meet the agreed incremental costs of measures to achieve agreed global environmental benefits in the four focal areas – Climate change; Biological diversity; International waters; and Ozone layer depletion. GEF also supports the work of the global agreements to combat desertification and eliminate persistent organic pollutants.

The World Bank Group is one of GEF’s implementing agencies and supports countries in preparing GEF co-financed projects and supervises their implementation. It plays the primary role in ensuring the development and management of investment projects. The Bank draws upon its investment experience in eligible countries to promote investment opportunities and to mobilize private sector, bilateral, multilateral, and other government and non-government sector resources that are consistent with GEF objectives and national sustainable development strategies.

Since 1991, the World Bank Group has committed $1.972 billion in GEF resources and $3.037 billion in Bank group co-financing for GEF projects in 80 countries. In addition to GEF and Bank resources, it has mobilized additional co-financing of $6.952 billion from other donors.