Green-AL – Empower Grass-Root CSOs for Improved Innovative Environmental Protection in Albania
The Green-AL “Empower Grass-Root CSOs for Improved Innovative Environmental Protection in Albania” is funded by SIDA the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and implemented by Co-PLAN, Institute for Habitat Development as leading partner, in cooperation with CISP Sviluppo dei Popoli, VIS Albania, and COSV – Cooperazione per lo Sviluppo.
This project aims to contribute to the improvement and empowerment of environmental organizations and to influence the promotion of cooperation between civil society actors, public authorities and the private sector to advocate and address environmental issues in Albania.
On the other hand, Green-AL addresses the challenges and limitations of the local environmental CSOs that mainly relate to improved organizational sustainability and professionalism, increased absorption rate of donor-funded grants, improved capabilities to engage in effective partnerships, and a general need for learning how to engage in lobbying and advocacy so to influence decision-making within the environmental realm. To address such needs, the proposed action foresees a number of activities and events such as:
(a) CSO tailor-made capacity building for making them more professional and sustainable;
(b) Grant-giving and implementation;
(c) Advocacy activities and preparation of policy documents, participation in round-tables and workshops to impact policy-making;
(d) A number of activities to increase partnerships, visibility, and awareness such as multimedia products (documentaries, clips and infographics), publications, public events, etc.
Implemented by:
Co-PLAN, Institute for Habitat Development (leading partner)
CISP (Il Comitato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo dei Popoli)
VIS (Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo)
COSV (Coordinamento delle Organizzazioni per il Servizio)
Financed by:
SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency)
Gazeta Green-AL
The Green-AL project newsletter is an informative summary of the achievement of the project in this phase and the practices followed by environmental organizations in the four regions of Albania, which through financial support, in the form of grants, are affecting the improvement of the environmental situation in the country.
Environmental Declarations
Throughout the 2+ years of project implementation, Green AL Partners have financially supported and collaborated with more than 50 Environmental CSOs in the country, raising and addressing environmental issues throughout the country, on the other hand, conveying the voice of local communities at the regional and national level.
Environmental issues are today a major concern for communities whose lives are linked to natural resources and face the consequences of environmental degradation, as a result of the uncontrolled exploitation of resources and rapid urbanization, thus increasing the vulnerability of the country against natural disasters and the effects of climate change.
To advocate for environmental issues that concern communities, Green AL Partners, in collaboration with awarded CSOs in this project, have organized 5 Environmental Forums which have served to bring together interest groups to discuss/address topics of national importance such as: Protection of Protected Areas and their Sustainable Management, Climate Change and Energy; Water, Air, Land Pollution and Waste Management.
Civil Society Organizations under the umbrella of Green AL, have drafted 5 Environmental Declarations which highlight elements that will have to be addressed in order to achieve a sustainable management of resources and reduce the vulnerability of the country and communities to natural disasters and climate change effects. On the other hand, CSOs have offered their availability to cooperate in the processes of approximation of legislation within the framework of the opening of negotiations for the country’s membership in the European Union, with the main focus on Chapter 27, Environment.
The Environmental Declarations can be accessed below.
The Environment Manifesto of Albania (EMA)
The Environment Manifesto of Albania (EMA) reflects the most accurate perception of the environmental landscape in Albania. It seeks to inspire environmental accountability as a practice to navigate today’s severe conflicting developments upon Environment. This document is designated to provide a straightforward approach about the most concerning issues related to, pollution, nature, climate change, and environmental crime.
More than 70 Environmental CSOs, under the umbrella of Green AL, elaborated 5 Environmental Declarations which highlight elements that will have to be addressed mainly by responsible authorities in Albania to halt environmental deterioration, impose and implement exiting legislation and further reduce the vulnerability of the country and communities to natural disasters and climate change effects.
Given the lack of response from referred authorities, Green-AL presents this Manifesto to call for a stronger role from CSOs vis-a-vi the environmental context in Albania as well as articulates specific recommendations for a smoth and inclusive EU Integration and Green Transition. EMA builds upon the evidence-based information collected throughout the last 10 years by the Co-PLAN Environment Unit and numerous collaborators.
Projects supported by Green-AL
Projects financialy suported by Green Al had in their focus, mainly, raising awarenes on environmental isuess that impact local communities in order to convey local isuess and advocate at regional and national level. On the other hand, environmental issues cannot be seen as separate from the socio-economic development of the communities and territories in which they live, as a balance of development between these elements must be found to achieve a sustainable development.
For this reason, during the implementation of the projects, activities have been conceptualized in order to address environmental issues in a comprehensive way, engaging and including different interest groups and on the other hand assessing the impact that environmental degradation has on certain communities which for reasons of unequal socio-economic development are affected and suffer the consequences in different ways.
In the 31 projects implemented in 25 municipalities of the country, citizens, students, businesses, CSOs, local and national institutions were involved, raising issues such as: consumption and food waste, the impact of hydropower plants on communities and territories, air, water and soil pollution, energy security, etc.
To learn more about the implemented projects and the topics covered click below.
Incubation Process
Aiming at increasing the capacities and knowledge of CSOs, experts and activists in fields related to the environment, but also knowledge exchange to increase interaction between them, Green AL Partners have designed and delivered a series of thematic trainings focused on environmental and administrative aspects of project management, conceptualized as the Incubation Process.
The topics addressed in this process were defined by the CSOs themselves during the needs assessment phase, conducted by Green AL Partners, which aimed to assess the capacities and obtain from the interest groups their needs related to environmental issues in the area in which they operate.
In total, 40 trainings have been delivered, 10 in each region of Green AL, in 14 different municipalities of the country, attended by about 500 representatives of CSOs and local/regional institutions, environmental experts and activists.
The topics of the trainings were the same for all regions, but they were contextualized for each region in order to promote the potentials and at the same time raise awareness regarding the environmental risks that the communities may face in the future.
The Partners think that the training modules developed in Green AL will serve the people who have been directly involved in the trainings but also those who may want to increase their knowledge related to various environmental issues. For this purpose, all the training modules designed and delivered in Green AL are published below.
Thematic Studies
These Thematic Studies are a product developed by the implementing partners of the Green-AL program to highlight the main environmental issues in each of the regions of Albania, and they reflect the existing situation and the regional environmental status, grasping the epistemology of these issues and providing further updates with information and facts gathered from 2021 to 2023.
These studies offer comprehensive insights (even though non-exhaustive) into the socio-economic progress from an environmental lens, presenting a nuanced understanding of the unique traits of each region.
Their primary objective goes beyond addressing environmental concerns; they aim to advocate for natural resources as collective assets necessitating collaborative management. By doing so, they seek to leverage these resources to mitigate socio-economic challenges.
Thematic Reports are strategically designed to assist various stakeholders, particularly CSOs, NGOs, empowering them to undertake initiatives, even beyond the scope of the Green-AL II program, based on the outlined discoveries and suggestions.
These studies have harnessed the research and monitoring initiatives conducted by OSHCs through Green-AL projects. Considering that environmental monitoring and inspection by Albanian authorities are notably scarce, the insights provided in these studies present a perspective that aligns more closely with reality.
All information processed here is sourced from official channels or specific research methodologies. It’s crucial to note that the maps and images used serve an informative and illustrative purpose.
Therefore, any endeavor seeking guidance from these studies for planning infrastructural changes should undergo thorough assessments as outlined in the Environmental Protection Law (VNM).
Access the publications by following the links below.
