Living in Protected Areas, a blessing coated with responsibilities!

What does it mean for people to live within Protected Areas?

What are the benefits and challenges they face?

What vision do they have for the future?

Living in Protected Areas is a blessing which also comes with responsibilities. The responsibility to secure living without harming nature and to think about the generations to come.

CNVP Albania organised an engaging meeting with the participation of KfW and PONT mission and local stakeholders from Albanian Alps National Park representing environmental NGOs, local businesses and local community, in Valbona valley on 12 July 2023. The meeting is organised in the framework of PONT -funded project “Sustainable use of natural resources for transboundary socio-economic development of Protected Areas in Albania & North Macedonia", which is committed to improve livelihoods of local communities to live in harmony with nature.

During the meeting CNVP informed the participants that project will provide comprehensive support to local communities for securing their living by conserving the nature and protecting biodiversity. It will do so by establishing long lasting models which help to address the challenges as well as building capacities of local communities through its Grant scheme component. The call for grants will be opened soon and it will target environmental actors operating in the Albanian Alps national Park. The application package will be published online and all applicants will be supported in case of questions and need for more guidelines.

PONT and KFW mission encouraged the participants to come together and have their voice in the preparation of the Management Plans for the Protected Areas as well as emphasised as number one priority considering NATURE CONSERVATION while carrying out any activity.

Representatives from NGOs, local businesses and community expressed their gratitude for any support which can be provided to the local communities in order to improve their livelihoods.

CNVP is aware that these areas are affected by social, economic and demographic changes characterized by: low economic standard; stagnating economic development; impoverished population; constant depopulation, particularly of the youth; low environmental awareness; disregard to environmental protection; natural resources being under pressure in the ever-growing need for more income as well as unwillingness and inadequate capacities to address environmental threats and provide solutions.

CNVP Albania, supported by PONT is committed to support local communities living in Protected Areas by designing project activities in a way to address the main above-mentioned threats to PAs as well as coordinate future efforts to achieve sustainability.

Stay tuned for the opening call for grants soon and many other activities from Korab Koritnik and Albanian Alps Protected Areas.