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Albania
Forty five IPAs have been identified in Albania covering an area of 384,824 hectares and including 15 transboundary sites; 4 with Montenegro, 2 with Kosovo, 5 with Macedonia FYR and 4 with Greece.
1 Grykëderdhja e Bunës - Velipojës
2 Skoda Lake and Buna River
3 Lugina e Cemit
4 Alpet Veriore Shqiptare
5 Pashtrik - Morinë
6 Gjallicë - Koritnik
7 Korabi
8 Rrajcë - Shebenik - Jabllanicë
9 Liqeni i Ohrit
10 Mali i Thatë
11 Liqenet e Prespës
12 Gramoz - Shelegur
13 Lugina e Vjosës - Çarshovë
14 Zhej - Nemërçkë
15 Kepi i Stillos
16 Kolsh - Mali i Runës
17 Bjeshka e Oroshit
18 Kunorat e Lurës
19 Zall - Gjoçaj
20 Liqeni i Zi
21 Grykëderdhja e Drinit - Ceka - Vain
22 Qafë Shtamë
23 Mali me Gropa - Bizë - Martanesh
24 Krujë _Tujan
25 Parku i Dajtit
26 Kepi i Rodonit - Pylli i Ishmit
27 Holtë - Bulçar
28 Shpat - Polis
29 Guri i Topit - Valamarë
30 Tomorri
31 Lugina e Gjergjevicës
33 Parku i Divjakës
34 Këneta e Roskovecit
35 Pishë Poro - Grykëderdhja e Vjosës (Vlorë)
36 Karaburuni - Mali i Çikës
37 Kanioni i Gjipesë
38 Bredhi i Hotovës
39 Porto Palermo
40 Kardhiq
41 Rrëzomë
42 Borsh - Lukovë
43 Bistricë - Muzinë
44 Ksamil
45 Liqeni i Butrintit
These IPAs contain a huge variety of habitats; forests, maquis, grassland and wetland and are located throughout the country, in the mountain ranges in the north, south and east as well as along the coast in the west and around the lakes in the east.
One hundred ninety six red listed species can be found on these 45 IPA, these are not all ‘threatened’ but are frequently ‘rare’ on a nationally or global scale. Many are also Albanian and/or Balkan endemic species.
Globally threatened species such as Wulfenia baldacci and Ligusticum albanicum are two endemics that are restricted to the Northern Albanian Alps. Two regionally threatened mosses are also restricted to a single site in Albania: Buxbaumia viridis (to Northern Albanian Alps IPA) and Mannia triandra (to Karaburun - Mali i Çikës IPA). The regionally threatened aquatic fern Salvia natans is found on Roskoveci swamp and the threatened vascular plant Marsilea quadifolia is found in Shkodra Lake and Fritillaria messanensis subsp. gracilis in Gjallicë-Koritnik.
Seven IPAs have no protected area status and for others there are no clear management plans to provide information on how to safeguard the biodiversity present, special attention should be given to these sites.
Fact-sheets on the Croatian IPAs are available on the IPA Online Database.
Threats to IPAs in Albania
The main threats to IPAs in Albania are overgrazing, illegal deforestation, burning of vegetation, tourism development and recreational habitat fragmentation and eutrophication (enrichment).
No. of IPAs: 45
No. of IPAs from 10 selected sites with single country endemic species: 8
No. of IPAs from 10 selected sites with very restricted species (steno-endemics): 8
Coordinating organisation:
Regional Environmental Centre (REC) Albania