Albania puts forest damage and recreational opportunities in the limelight

Albania is one of four countries represented in the General Coordinating Committee (GCC) of Forest Europe, alongside Germany, UK, and Sweden. To better understand Albania’s priorities, we asked Artur Kala, General Director of the National Forestry Agency, to share which indicators currently are especially relevant for their country.

Albania’s engagement in Forest Europe shows how national strategies and pan-European cooperation can work hand in hand to address both ecological challenges and social opportunities.

The forests of Albania

A healthy Austrian pine forest - Pinus nigra - stand in the Gramshi area southeast Albania. Copyright H.Xhomara — *A healthy Austrian pine forest – Pinus nigra – stand in the Gramshi area southeast Albania. Copyright H.Xhomara*

Forests are one of Albania’s most important natural resources, covering about 1.3 million hectares or 46% of the country. They are vital for biodiversity, ecological balance, and rural livelihoods, providing timber, non-wood products, and employment. Albania’s forest landscape is dominated by natural deciduous forests, mainly beech and oak, with conifers and mixed forests adding diversity. The forests are largely young and multi-aged, with about 64% in the regeneration phase.

*Afforestation with Mediterranean pine trees by the former Forestry Institute has resulted in the protection of agricultural and urban land on the Adriatic coast. Copyright H.Xhomara*

Thanks to Albania’s Mediterranean geography, climate, and terrain, the country hosts a rich variety of floristic habitats. Forests also store over 100 million tons of carbon and are key to climate resilience, tourism, and sustainable development.

Criteria and Indicators are important tools

Artur Kala talking about the importance of forests during a field afforestation in collaboration with municipality staff. Copyright Mikel Nako — *Artur Kala, General Director National Forestry Agency, talking about the importance of forests during a field afforestation in collaboration with municipality staff.*
*Copyright Mikel Nako*

Artur Kala points out that Pan-European Criteria and Indicators are important tools in the effort for Sustainable Forest Management. They are closely linked to the information base, specifically data of the state and trends of forest development. They are also the fundamental political instrument with direct impact on which to rely, drafting of healthy national policies, communication and dialogue, with other sectors that are related to forests and the general public. In this regard, the Albanian representatives in the GCC are highlighting two important indicators for their country; indicator 2.4 on Forest damage and indicator 6.10 on Recreational opportunities.

Forest Europe Criterion C2: Forest Ecosystem Maintenance, Forest Health and Vitality. Indicator 2.4 – Forest Damage

Damage from biotic and abiotic factors is an essential component of natural forest ecosystems, as it drives processes such as regeneration, selection, and adaptation of species in the long evolutionary path of natural development, however, the damage caused to the forest ecosystem, in such cases, often results in incomparable losses in both biological and economic terms. About 26% of forests in Albania are damaged by winds, fires, diseases or pests.

*Forest area affected by procesionary pin disease. Copyright Mikel Nako*

From the monitoring carried out on the health state of forests in Albania, an average of about 150 thousand ha of forests are affected by pests and diseases every year, where the most problematic among the pests is the pine processionary (Thaumetopoea pityocampa Den.&Schiff), which causes great damage through the skeletonization it causes to the crowns of trees, directly affecting the reduction of the annual growth of affected coniferous trees and the damage to the landscape, especially in Touristic Areas. The management of this pest faces numerous challenges due to the difficult terrain and high intervention costs.

Furthermore, climate change has contributed to the deterioration of the situation, making the biological cycle of the pest more unstable and spreading extraordinary population explosions. National Forestry Agency (NFA) in collaboration with the Faculty of Forest Sciences at Agriculture University of Tirana (AUT) in Albania during 2025 has undertaken the project: “Development of a management model for combating the pine processionary disease”.

Forest Europe Criterion C6. Maintenance of Other Socio-Economic Functions and Conditions. Indicator 6.10 – Recreational Opportunities

Forests enable people to benefit from their recreational value, which contributes to the quality of social and individual life. These non-commercial benefits include health benefits (physical and mental) as well as the pleasure or enjoyment that people get from recreational activity. In Albania, the evolutionary trend of making forests available to the public for recreational purposes has increased significantly in recent years. It has become an important part of the tourist offer, which has experienced a colossal growth boom in the last two years.

Planting — NFA agency is conducting an education campaign in schools across the country to promote the values of forests, aiming to promote education programs (classroom or field hours) in all schools across the country. During 2024, 176 schools in the country were included.

It is also worth mentioning that the Albanian government proclamed the 2024 year as “The year of the forests” with the vision by 2030 to promote the concept “Forests of Albania – National Wealth”, which provide key solutions for biodiversity, climate change, nature regeneration, tourism, increased well-being and economic development, where one of the main objectives was public awareness on forests and education in schools.

Data mentioned in this article is collected from National Forest and Pasture Inventory (ANFI 2021).

'Skënderbeg Mountains' part of the Qaf'Shtamë National Park covered in snow and covered with a typical species of this area such as the Bosnian pine (Pinus heldereichii). Copyright H.Xhomara — *Skënderbeg Mountains – part of the Qaf’Shtamë National Park – covered in snow and covered with a typical species of this area such as the Bosnian pine (Pinus heldereichii). Copyright H.Xhomara*