In Vlora, water is a precious but fragile resource. On the coastline of the bay and in the protected Vjosa-Narta lagoon, illegal discharges end up directly in the sea and the wastewater treatment system is inefficient. In the villages around the city, many families have no access to the water network or receive water only a few hours a day, and there is a lack of cooperation between public institutions, civil society, and businesses for the sustainable management of water resources and wastewater.

Albania is working to meet European environmental standards, but water management remains one of the biggest challenges. During summer, when the population grows due to the increasing influx of tourists, the problem worsens: water shortages, increased wastewater, and increasingly vulnerable communities.

The project aims to improve the institutional and governance capacities of the City of Vlora, in line with the City to City Cooperation program between Milan and Vlora, ensuring 100% of citizens have access to proper wastewater treatment (from 80,000 to 160,000), improving the distribution network by 15 km (17,456 inhabitants with stable access to running water) and increasing the areas subject to environmental controls by over 395 km2. The initiative also aims to apply standards for wastewater treatment and management and running water distribution, with strategies and action plans based on Integrated Water Resources Management. The project will benefit 172,416 people, including citizens in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas of the Municipality of Vlora, 21 public officials, 57 private companies, and 14 representatives of civil society organizations and local action groups.

PROJECT SUMMARY

The project aims to achieve:

• proper wastewater treatment for all citizens of Vlora (100%, from 80,000 to 160,000 inhabitants);
• a 13% increase in the number of citizens receiving running water supply as a result of the extension of the distribution network (from 15,421 to 17,456);
• an increase in the municipal area subject to the application of wastewater standards (from 1.81 km2 to 26.83 km2), to greater environmental controls on illegal spills (from 4.5 km² to 400 km²), to the application of standards on wastewater treatment and management and running water distribution (from 0.70 km² to 21.51 km²), and to strategies and action plans based on the Integrated Water Resources Management system (from 194 km² to 788 km²).

To achieve these results, the following actions will be carried out:

• replacement of the existing water distribution system in the village of Zvernec with a new, modern, and efficient water infrastructure, under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Vlora;
• introduction of new techniques (drones and satellite imagery) to monitor and reduce illegal discharges into the Narta lagoon, along the coastal areas and rivers of the Prefecture of Vlora,  with the collaboration of UKV (Municipal Water and Wastewater Company of the City of Vlora) and ARPA Lombardia;
• Creation of a digital platform for organizing public awareness campaigns on the Municipality of Vlora’s website;
• Creation of a transparency and information platform (municipal database) for managing general data on state water resources.

BENEFICIARIES 

• 160,000 inhabitants of Vlora directly connected to the treatment plant, of whom 11,543 live in the area periodically flooded by sewage and 17,634 live in areas adjacent to the treatment plant and would benefit from cleaner air as a result of the sludge treatment provided by the project
• At least 26 people, including officials and technical staff from the Municipality of Vlora and the Vlora Municipal Water and Wastewater Company (UKV), will benefit from training
• 2,035 inhabitants living in the rural village of Zvernec
• 50,890 people, including citizens, businesses, civil society organizations (CSOs), and Local Action Groups (LAGs)