PROTECTED AREAS MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS IN ALBANIA IN THE CONTEXT OF AICHI 2020 TARGETS

Aichi biodiversity targets approved by CBD COP 10 in 2010 aim to ensure biodiversity conservation by 2020, while CoP7/SBSTTA recommended developing indicators to measure the progress made. CBD programme of Work on Protected Areas sets the target to have frameworks for monitoring, evaluating and reporting PAs management effectiveness at sites, national and regional systems, and trans-boundary protected area levels adopted and implemented by Parties. Evaluation of the management effectiveness of at least 30 % of each Party's national protected area systems was required by 2010.The PoW on Protected Areas aligned with NBSAP focuses on their extension and management strengthening as high priority objectives for the country. Protected Areas in Albania actually cover 16 % of the territory. The issue of management effectiveness of existing PAs has not received enough attention. This paper presents an effort in this respect on the assessment of most important areas: National Parks, Managed Nature Reserves and Protected Landscapes. Analysis of main components of PAs management effectiveness using RAPPAM methodology, show the Planning component in average values to have the best results with over 50 %, followed by Processes and Outputs with around 42 %, with the weakest value belonging to Inputs with only 30 % in mean values. From the summary of management effectiveness point of view only National Parks score above 200, showing a great need for improvement in this respect. The strongest points belong to legal framework for designation and some political support with the weakest ones being the financial and human resources.