Supporting routine conservation activities for Prespa National Park in Albania

The National Agency of Protected Areas (NAPA) and PONT have agreed on a follow-up grant for the Prespa National Park in Albania.

The grant proposal was prepared by the Regional Administration of Protected Areas (RAPA) in Korca, with the support of the KfW financed project ‘Transboundary Biosphere Reserve Prespa’. It focuses mainly on the requirement of additional manpower to implement priority conservation actions, which are outlined in the park management plan. A planning grant enabled the collection of basic information on the required resources for routine activities needed in the park.

The activities are geared toward 14 objectives, which are grouped into five programmes:

1. biodiversity conservation and monitoring activities;
2. tourism and environmental education;
3. administration and management of the park;
4. natural resource management and local development; and
5. administrative support from NAPA.

Additional proposed staff for the Prespa National Park to be co-financed by PONT cover the fields of administration/finance, communication/liaison, biology, and law enforcement, by adding an additional ranger. In addition, temporary workers from the local community will be hired to assist with fire management and the maintenance of hiking trails.

A mid-term review of the current park management plan (2014-2023) is likely to be undertaken towards the end of 2019. This review is expected to reassess priority actions for the remaining five years and will establish a timetable that will inform the preparation of the annual operational plans for the next five years. The review will also consider the need to support the implementation of the Transboundary Prespa Park Agreement, that recently entered into force. Both NAPA and RAPA are expected to be represented in the transboundary Management, which would have implications to the deployment of both human and financial resources.