Albania: Albanian coast at risk

TIRANA (4/24/2001)- Albania's coast is at risk due to the unrestricted intervention of people who have caused damages in its ecosystem, in geomorphological processes, and have reactivated sea erosion, Prof. Dr. Skender Sala, specialist at the center of the Geographic Studies reported to ATA. Prof. Dr. Sala mentioned the damages the coastal ecosystems of our country like those of Hoxhara, Seman, Porto Romano, Patok, Kune Vaini, Drini bay, Velipoja have suffered, and where men's intervention, different construction, the casting of the sand areas, the unrestricted cutting of the forest belt has caused a "shrink" of the scenic beach areas created over years in these coastal zones. But the "coast crisis" in Albania is accompanied by huge economic damages. The most distinctive are those caused in the Patok beach, Seman, the sand coast of Kune, Zhuke Poro and so on. Taking some bunkers built in the 70s as a reference point, the intensity of the sea erosion according to the experts results to be very high; that is more than 10-15 meters per year. Under such conditions the "rinse" phenomenon is taking place along with the damages caused by the changes in the outfall of rivers, the decrease of their flow, the construction of dams and artificial lakes, the exploitation of beaches' sand for construction material and others.

//Shqiptarja.com