Croatia, one of Europe’s most popular destinations has extended a helping hand to Albania to help it clean up its coastline.
Whilst there are various community-led clean-up operations (waves) taking place along the shoreline, the vast majority of waste ends up in rivers which in turn wash directly into the sea. Croatia has stepped in to give assistance to help Albania clean up its territorial waters as well as improving the level of efficiency when it comes to hazards such as oil spills. The issue for Croatia is that much of the trash that ends up polluting Albania’s water, drifts onto their shores where millions of tourists go every year.
The President of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic arrived in Durres on Thursday and spoke of the problems that sea currents and winds bearing gifts of plastic and pollution, are causing for Croatia’s coastal regions.
“A lot of effort and a lot of funding is invested into cleaning the shores of the Adriatic. We would prefer to invest that money into prevention of any environmental pollution,” she said at a ceremony to launch the new cleanup project.
The tourist industry in Croatia generates 20% of its GDP and for this reason, they have chosen to fund the first stage of the project that is worth EUR250,000. The President also stressed that if Albania wants to join the EU, they need to be able to navigate and satisfy the most complex chapters and policy areas, which are predominantly linked to environmental matters. In other words, if you don’t clean up your act, the EU will not have you.
The Albania director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) added that her agency was involved in tackling marine pollution as well as helping to prevent accidents that affect the Adriatic coast, working in collaboration with the two governments in Tirana and Zagreb.
A conservative estimate places the amount of pollutant waste in the Adriatic at around 75 million tonnes and as a response, the UNDP is working on contingency plans on the basis that the public will “forgive accidents, but be less willing to relent on unpreparedness or arrogance”.
Whilst this all sounds great, I cannot help but think that there is more than just prevention and cure that needs to be done. There needs to be an increase in the education of youngsters at school and adults through the media, in why waste needs to be properly disposed of. We also need to improve recycling facilities on the street and then ensure that waste is actually recycled and not just burned and/or dumped in a landfill.
Thank you to Croatia for stepping in to offer a helping hand, but don’t you think its a bit embarrassing? Can you imagine if your next door neighbour knocked on your door and asked to clean your house because it seems you are not capable and it stinks? I hope the Albanian authorities will work hard to match this effort and to continue the work after the kind donation dries up.
Many Albanians want change and improvements and are happy to be a part of it as long as the right infrastructure is there to help them. Those that don’t want to help are the ones that need your education. Step it up a bit.
Thanks.
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