Description

The overall objective of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Clean-Up Project is to protect the coastal natural resources and cultural assets, and promote sustainable development and management of the Albanian coast. To this end, institutional and policy framework for an integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) will be established, and a broader regulatory capacity will be strengthened at the central, regional, and local levels for protection of coastal and marine natural resources. Project components will: 1) enhance the capacity of the Albanian authorities in the management of coastal resources, developing adequate operational policy, legal, and regulatory framework, as well as financial/economic instruments for the ICZM; strengthen institutional capacity to increase the effectiveness of regulatory, planning, and management functions of the ICZM at the central, regional, and local levels; strengthen coastal water quality monitoring network; and strengthen protected areas management in Butrint National Park, and enhance the knowledge base, while raising public awareness on coastal issues; 2) assist southern coastal municipalities and communes in preserving, protecting, and enhancing coastal natural resources, and cultural assets to improve the environmental conditions of the coastal area, and to encourage community support for a sustainable coastal zone management. This component will support improvements in solid waste management in the south coastal zone; in the transformation of the Port of Saranda into a ferryboat and passenger terminal; and the establishment of a Coastal Village Conservation and Development Program (CVCDP); 3) mitigate soil and groundwater contamination in the chemical plant at Porto Romano, seriously contaminated within the Balkans. The component seeks to build capacity and awareness on hazardous waste management, in pursuit of adequate environmental monitoring, to include remediation and clean-up works, land-use planning, and resettlement plan implementation; and 4) support project management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation, through technical assistance, training, and the provision of incremental operational costs.