Chronicle/ Top Channel
Many regions of the country that have not been on the list of flood-prone areas are now seriously at risk. While Albania is already with a red mark, as one of the countries with the greatest risk in the world.
Environmental experts believe that during the last two decades, not only has no serious measure been taken to stop soil erosion and regulate water, but damage has continued that has further stimulated the consequences of natural phenomena.
“The problem has its origins in deforestation and the root system of typical vegetation works like a sponge, which does not allow water to flow at high speed. If you have this forest, then there is no need for embankments”, declares specialist Olsi Nika.
“It’s been years since the rivers’ beds have been damaged by inerts, while deforestation has degraded the terrain excessively, causing these unexpected waters to come”, says another expert, Stavri Lami.
Professor Lami says that there is an urgent need for a mirogranization of the institutions that deal with water management and their discipline.
“Erosion finds weak spots and hits there. Lagoons may be created or those lands that were will no longer be. There were many design institutions that dealt with these problems and now they no longer exist”, the expert underlines.
Albania is now not only at risk from the flooding of the rivers, which burst their banks every time there is heavy rain, but also from the flooding that can come from the sea, which has become very aggressive as a result of the damage to the river beds and the prohibition of discharge of inerts into the sea.
