Why Albania Needs a Post-Fire Monitoring System: Lessons from the 2025 Wildfire Season

The summer of 2025 has once again placed Albania at the centre of a wildfire emergency. By the end of July, over 12,600 hectares of land had burned, and by mid-August, the total area scorched had reached 55,154 hectares (EFFIS 2025). Entire villages in Gramsh and Delvinë were evacuated, fires threatened beloved protected areas such as the ‘Lura’ National Park, ‘Prespa’ National Park, ‘Syri i Kaltër’ Nature Park, and the ‘Llogara–Karaburun’ corridor. Thousands of citizens have been affected. This comes on the heels of a devastating 2024 season, where nearly 46,500 hectares burned, the worst since 2012.

Wildfires are not new to Albania, but their frequency and intensity have grown alarmingly. This year’s fires highlight a structural challenge that goes beyond weather: unmanaged landscapes, shrinking rural populations, and limited fire prevention measures have created a perfect storm. Climate extremes are the trigger, but abandoned stewardship is the fuel.

What the 2025 fires reveal about Albania’s changing landscapes.

EFFIS – European Forest Fire Information System data from 2025 shows that fires disproportionately burned open landscapes—savannas (49.9%) and shrublands/grasslands (33.1%). Croplands (10.5%) and forests (4.8%) make up the rest. While the percentage of burned forests appears small, the ecological impact is disproportionately high. Many of Albania’s forests lie within protected areas and host rare or endemic species. Even localised forest fires can wipe out irreplaceable habitats, accelerate erosion, and disrupt water regulation.

Deeper socio-ecological shifts drive the spread of fires. Traditional grazing, which for centuries kept shrubs and grasses in check, has sharply declined. Rural depopulation leaves fewer eyes on the land and fewer volunteer brigades to respond early. Forest management practices like thinning, pruning, and firebreaks are sporadic or absent, particularly in remote protected areas. Combined with heatwaves and prolonged droughts, these factors have turned Albania’s landscapes into tinderboxes.

Why post-fire monitoring matters.

Most of Albania’s fire response is focused on immediate suppression. Once the flames are out, there is little systematic effort to assess the ecological damage or guide recovery. Currently, Albania lacks any post-fire monitoring protocol. This gap means that we do not know which rare and endemic species are most at risk, how habitats are recovering, or which areas need urgent restoration.

Without data, policy decisions are based on guesswork. Burned slopes may be left to erode, invasive species may colonise disturbed areas, and crucial habitats for species like the Balkan lynx or golden eagle may never recover. In protected areas, this lack of knowledge undermines Albania’s commitments to EU conservation frameworks such as Natura 2000.

This is where the new ILIRIA project “Enhancing Biodiversity Knowledge and Climate Resilience in Shebenik and Prespa National Parks” comes in. Building on ILIRIA’s past work mapping habitats in Prespa National Park, the project aims to develop Albania’s first post-fire monitoring system. It will identify and monitor rare plant species, develop post-fire assessment protocols, and integrate these findings into national and local management strategies.

Crucially, the project involves protected area staff, local communities, and university students. This ensures not only better science but also stronger local ownership. By training those who live and work in these landscapes, the project helps build the long-term capacity needed to adapt to an era of climate extremes.

From reaction to resilience

The fires of 2025 emphasise that Albania cannot rely solely on emergency response. A shift is needed toward prevention, preparedness, and informed recovery. Post-fire monitoring is a cornerstone of this approach. It allows managers to:

• Map the ecological impacts of fires and prioritize restoration where it is most needed.
• Track biodiversity recovery and adapt management accordingly.
• Design evidence-based fire prevention strategies, such as reintroducing grazing or creating firebreaks in high-risk areas.
• Strengthen Albania’s alignment with EU conservation standards and attract international support for nature-based solutions.

The cost of inaction is high. Repeated fires can permanently convert forests into shrublands, reducing both biodiversity and carbon storage. Erosion and sediment runoff degrade rivers and lagoons. Lost habitats mean lost opportunities for eco-tourism and sustainable land use.

A call to act on lessons learned

Albania’s wildfire problem is not just about hotter summers. It is also about landscapes in transition and the urgent need to manage them wisely. The ILIRIA project’s post-fire monitoring system is an important step toward resilience. By learning from each fire season, Albania can protect its people, ecosystems, and cultural landscapes, ensuring that the devastating fire seasons of 2024 and 2025 do not become the new normal.

By: ILIRIA