Protected Areas Protected areas represent the natural and spiritual treasure of a country. They preserve natural landscapes, rare species and ecosystems vital to our well-being. Albania is fortunate to possess extraordinary assets, which are not only tourist destinations, but also national treasures that require commitment and continuous protection.

In this context, the EU4Nature project plays an important role in strengthening the management of protected areas and in promoting sustainable development. By supporting local institutions, increasing professional capacities and promoting the involvement of local communities, EU4Nature contributes to harmonizing our practices with European standards for nature protection.

As part of efforts to improve the unified governance and management and full standardization of protected areas at the national level, in accordance with the EU Habitats and Birds Directive, the process has begun for Albania to be included in the Green List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which includes the five National Parks of the first phase: Vjosa River, Dajti Mountain, Shebenik, Divjakë-Karavasta and Prespa.

Active control and law enforcement is one of the main points of the agency where we have over 31,000 monitoring and 128 inspections which guaranteed real protection of the territory and new contracts reduced informality and increased discipline in the use of protected areas. The revenues received provided concrete support for management and priority interventions and ticketing has brought considerable income and contributed to the management of tourist flows.

In April 2025, the National Agency for Protected Areas concluded one of its most ambitious initiatives – the Reassessment and digitalization of 724 Natural Monuments, of which 300 are bio-monuments and 424 geo-monuments. Each object is equipped with a QR code, which provides immediate access to scientific data, legal status, ecological description and visual information.

Continuous monitoring also ensured the conservation of priority species and habitats. Conserving protected areas is not a luxury, but a necessity. Climate change, pollution and uncontrolled development remain real threats.

Through concrete commitments and partnerships, we have the opportunity to build a new model of cooperation, where nature conservation and economic development go hand in hand. Protected areas are an investment for the future. By protecting them today, we ensure that this precious heritage is passed on alive and intact to future generations.

National Agency for Protected Areas – NAPA