Chapter 1
Current Conditions for Albanian Agriculture and Climate
The Agricultural Sector in Albania Albania is located in south-eastern Europe, on the western side of the Balkan Peninsula, with frontage to the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. It has a surface area of 28,745 km2 and is bordered by Montenegro and Kosovo to the north, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south. Administratively, Albania is divided into 12 prefectures, 36 districts, 315 communities, and 2,900 villages. For the purposes of this study, Albania was divided into four agro-ecological zones, or AEZs, as shown in map 1.1. The area within each of these AEZs shares some of the same characteristics in terms of terrain, climate, soil type, and water availability, and as a result, baseline agricultural conditions, climate change impacts, and adaptive options will be similar within each AEZ, with differences between AEZs that are important for developing a specific adaptation plan. The terrain of Albania is primarily mountainous, with 77 percent of the country’s territory comprised of hilly or mountainous land. In map 1.1, these areas are shown in green, comprising the Northern and Central Mountains AEZ, and in yellow, comprising the Southern Highlands AEZ. There is also a highly productive coastal plain, however, shown in red, comprising the Lowlands AEZ, and parts of the Intermediate AEZ, shown in orange. Overall, the average elevation of the country is double the European average at 708 meters above sea level. The terrain and change in relief from the mountains to the coast result in high rates of soil degradation, and water resources are characterized by powerful, highly erosive river flows. This power has been converted into electricity, with over 95 percent of the country’s power supply sourced from hydroelectric infrastructure.
Recent Trends in Albanian Agriculture Agriculture has traditionally been the backbone of the Albanian economy and although the sector has been growing, the pace of growth has been outstripped
Reducing the Vulnerability of Albania’s Agricultural Systems to Climate Change 15 http://dx.doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-0047-4