Impact of Macroeconomic Changes and Property Rights on Forest Degradation, Land Use, and Environmental Situation in Albania

Abstract

During the past 20 years, Albania has moved from being a predominately rural society to one in which the majority of the population lives in urban areas. This population movement fueled rapid urban development and at the same time led to absentee landownership in rural areas. Albania has among the lowest amount of agricultural land per capita (0.22 ha) in the region. Only 24 % of Albania consists of agricultural land; 36 % is forest, 16 % is meadows and pastures, and 24 % is unproductive land, such as urban land and inland waterways. Environmental changes are linked to land reform. Conversion of agricultural land to residential plots has increased in Albania as a consequence of land privatization and decentralization. The land reform in Albania was constructed at the national level. The decision of the Albanian government to redistribute the land on a per capita basis was framed by political and economic considerations. From a global perspective, the effects of forest degradation and forest cover loss on biodiversity may be significant, as Albania is located within the Mediterranean Basin, which is recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot in terms of endemic flora and fauna species. The loss of cropland and forest cover in Albania indicates that the transition and the associated macroeconomic recession led to dramatic changes in the landscape. The main objective of the proposed chapter is to identify the relationship between land reforms, land tenure, and macroeconomic changes on forest degradation and land use and environmental impact in Albania. This chapter provides a conceptual framework for understanding the relationship between land tenure, property rights, land reform, and environmental impact as well as forest quality in Albania during the post-socialist period. A systems approach is used to describe land use changes in Albania, addressing the complex and dynamic nature of the relationships among the subject matter areas.