“It’s been 10 years now that I have been experiencing violence from my husband. I suffered for a long time, and then I decided to denounce him for the very first time in 2021. Now it is part of my routine to go to the police station and the court on a regular basis,” said the 42-year-old woman to Amfora Media on the condition of anonymity.

Domestic violence remains a concerning phenomenon in Albania, where there is a rise in reported cases year after year. This is a sign of more awareness to report such cases; however, the denouncement methods remain mostly the same, with people going to institutions in person to report the cases. Meanwhile, the victims are not benefiting from the technological developments that facilitate legal procedures for reporting.

According to the General Directorate of State Police, from January to December 2024, 5445 domestic violence cases have been identified and treated by the police authorities, “among them, 3822 victims have been girls and women, and 1754 have been men”. The State Police figures analyzed by Amfora Media show that the number of girls and women who sought protection orders increased by 115 in a year.

In 2024, 2969 protection orders for domestic violence were issued, and among them, 2166 were for women and girls, whereas in 20223, there were 2772 protection orders of such nature, 2051 of which were for women and girls.

Amfora Media, through a questionnaire published on its website, asked the audience about the domestic violence phenomenon. A total of 34 people responded to this questionnaire, 10 of them were domestic violence victims, while 24 were relatives of the victims. Among the domestic violence victims, it results that out of 10 people who have experienced violence, 9 of them were women and 1 of them was a man, exposing their spouse, cohabitant, boyfriend, or brother as the perpetrators.

Among these victims, only half of them had denounced their case to the authorities, and 80% of them had denounced violence in person, by going to the police station or the prosecution’s office. When asked about online denouncement, none of them said to had heard of the ‘Rapo Shpëto’ app, built to facilitate the reporting of violence and trafficking cases.

For lawyers and legal experts representing gender-based violence, there is a diversity of domestic violence cases that end up at institutions’ doors or lawyers’ offices through meetings and in-person denouncements.

“In the last five years, I have followed over 300 gender-based violence cases in the city of Durres alone. They include a series of cases, from physical and psychological violence to sexual and economic violence,” lawyer Erisilda Shpata explained.

“Sociologist Entela Binjaku said for Amfora that, “gender-based violence knows no religion, ethnicity or social status”.

“This happens in a society where the models inherited from the past clash with modern behavioral models,” she added.

The women met during this investigation stated that the violence they experienced from their husbands was denounced after experiencing it for years. Such a thing happened due to the presence of children in their lives, their inability to raise them, and the hope that things would change over time.

“Now that I am recalling it, I can fully say that I was blind and I have judged myself for his actions in every swearing, offense and physical violence,” added Stela who works 11 hours a day to be economically independent and is successfully managing to raise her two daughters alone despite a series of hardships.

Domestic violence victims stated that they initially justified violence from their spouse due to the economic situation the family was experiencing. Apart from the family situation, Elona had to deal with her husband’s parents; however, after 10 years, she decided to denounce violence for the very first time.

“In 2021, the situation became unbearable. Children were growing up in between violence and depression, and I started to suffer when my daughter was still a minor. Then I decided to denounce violence, to flee home and go to a shelter for almost four months,” said the woman.

“Technology silences,” women mostly denounce violence at the police stations

Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and despite the apps and online platforms which offer opportunities to people to express themselves and seek help, many women are still struggling due to the barriers of fear, lack of digital skills, and immediate support.

“During the summer of 2021, hell came to my home. My husband, who was drunk the whole time, blamed me for every family problem and exerted violence on me. His parents had a negative influence on him; the children were minors, and I had no other choice. I denounced him to the police station after 10 years of marriage,” recalled Elona with grief.

Stela, another woman from Durres who consented to be identified by her first name, recalled that she spent 10 years of her marital life under violence of all forms from her husband, who exerted violence over her, causing multiple psychological and physical traumas.

“Immediately after getting married, I experienced violence from my husband. Since he became father to my two daughters, I put up with him for a long time refusing my existence,” said the 46-year-old woman in shock.

For Stela, who is waiting for the court decision on the dissolution of her marriage, a process which has taken a full three years, the moments she decided to escape violence have never been easy.

“I initially got a protection order; however, after he left the house, I was left alone to feed my two girls, pay rent, and any take care of any other duties, hence it has been very difficult to go out,” she added.

The girls and women know and recognize the State Police as the best opportunity to denounce violence cases, even though the development of technology should have been accompanied by different forms of education and direct support to bring effective and accessible opportunities.

The Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice passed accountability to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, which listed a series of training activities organized for capacity building as well as awareness-raising campaigns. What was noticeable was the lack of a concrete online violence reporting mechanism. 

It mentioned the “REVEALB” platform (an electronic system for registration, referral and monitoring of domestic violence cases from the local domestic violence coordinators), where from January to November 2024, a total of 595 cases of violence of have been reported, 513 of which were violence cases against girls and women. Nevertheless, this overview is filled in by social workers and it serves; it does not provide a direct communication channel to the victims of violence.

“The majority of the girls and women choose to head to the police stations, either in person or through their mobile phones,” lawyer Shpata elaborated.

Elona does not recall how many times she had to call the Durres Police to denounce the violence she experienced from her husband; however, she still recognizes it as the best opportunity to seek help there, highlighting that she always reports violence “through the police phone number”.

“I had memorized it, and when I decided to denounce him, it was the only thing that came to my mind. Even now, whenever I denounce my husband, I do so through the police, because help comes fast and is the only way I know,” Elona stated. 

Around 80% of the Media Amfora questionnaire respondents stated that they went in person to the state police to denounce violence, while 20% had followed other procedures, such as directly denouncing violence to the prosecution and court, or having legal representation through civil society lawyers.

Violence remains “invisible” in rural areas

Mirela Gjoni, a gender equality activist since 2000 in Elbasan, noted that many women of this District struggle due to pressure and lack of access.

“Girls in the rural areas experience more pressure related to the patriarchal mindset compared to girls from the urban areas. Access to services is also limited, due to remoteness and lack of information in several cases. They have fewer economic opportunities because they do not manage agriculture revenues themselves,” Gjoni elaborated to Amfora.

Beyond Elbasan, in Pogradec, according to the local organizations, the girls and women experiencing domestic violence have no in-depth knowledge, even though they might have heard on TV or social media about the institutions that have the legal responsibility to come and help them.

“They have no in-depth or accurate knowledge regarding the pathways they can follow; however, they have information that there is a solution. They do not really know, hence awareness raising need to continue, because they do not know in practice nor do they understand how they should act through concrete steps,” explained ‘Unë Gruaja në Pogradec’ (Me the Woman in Pogradec) Center, which works for many years in the field of protecting girls and women.

The women met during the preparation of this article revealed that they have denounced the violence they have experienced from their spouses after living with it for many years due to the presence of children in their lives, their inability to raise them all by themselves, and the hope that things would change over time. The cases of violence that have ended up in court have increased considerably in recent years. The majority of such cases come from Tirana and Fier. A total of 254 protection orders were issued in the latter in 2020, whereas in 2024, the court in Fier issued 450 protection orders. Meanwhile, protection orders have decreased in Vlora from 157 issued in 2020 to 90 in 2024.

“Girls and women face many difficulties when it comes to reporting violence, due to the infrastructure. The phone is not very accessible, while transportation to the nearest police station or other institutions is almost impossible for them. Due to their isolation, they use social media very little,” Oliana Manaj from ‘Vatra’ Psychosocial Center in Vlora stated.

The analysis of the Amfora questionnaire showed that most of the victims of violence and their relatives had not heard of or used apps, hotlines, or other online reporting forms.

“Work on the ground shows that young girls who have more access to social media know several platforms where they can denounce violence, however not all of them use them because they are economically dependent on their husband/partners, as they do not have a profession and they have not worked in the past,” Oliana Manaj explained.

The Ministry of Health and Social Protection explained that it financially supports the functioning of 16 social services for domestic and gender-based violence victims, explaining that there are other forms of reporting violence through the phone.

“In the framework of the Social Fund, financial support has been provided for the establishment and functioning of 3 specialized centers on the regional level for violence victims. Throughout the years, these centers have treated, supported, and provided assistance to around 1165 beneficiaries, mostly girls and women,” the Ministry officially responded.

“Free online counseling services, reporting of violence and abuse against children, ‘Alo 116-111’, as well as the ‘Counseling hotline for Women and Girls’, victims from all forms of abuses and violence…”, ranked the ministry as some of the initiatives from Civil Society Organizations.

One of the victims reported to Amfora that she had heard about the violence reporting hotlines; however, they were not successful. “I have tried to reach the Durres Municipality helpline; however, it did not work,” explained the woman anonymously.

For sociologist Entela Binjaku, the services offered by the state institutions and the alternative mechanisms of reporting violence remain weak and need to be reformed.

“The time has come to focus on the quality of our actions, their sustainability, and the increase of social pressure toward the services offered by the state institutions, which seem to be weak and without an impact,” she stated.

From 2011, mechanisms have been established in 61 municipalities through officers who coordinate work with other institutions on the local level, such as the court, police, and different associations that come in support of domestic violence victims. 

“Durres Municipality has a special helpline, the 0800 9888; however, from my experience and the experience of violence victims, this number does not work,” explained lawyer Erisilda Shpata, who has provided counseling and legal support to dozens of women in recent years.

Durres Municipality, apart from this unit of violence reporting, also has under its dependency 2 community centers which work on such issues. Even though in 2023 alone the Durres Police Station registered 231 cases of violence, none of them seems to have been in contact with these centers.

“No cases have been identified at the Nishtulla Community Center of the Rrashbull Community Center from January to December 2023,” Durres Municipality officially responded to Amfora.

Meanwhile, physical violence remains more prevalent. The victims’ relatives who reported to Amfora said that in 58% of cases, the violence was physical while in 38% of cases there was psychological violence and only 4.2% of cases were sexual violence. 

The post Between silence and clicks: Technology is not helping the gender-based violence victims in Albania first appeared on Amfora.

“There are no sales. During the New Year holidays I sold several baskets, however this year I have not sold a single one,” the artisan from Pogradec stated.

She and other artisans in Albania are facing several crises one after another in the last few years. Some of them have closed their businesses, while others are forced to do other things to achieve a living.

Margarita now passes a good amount of her time in the mountains of Pogradec gathering medicinal plants, nevertheless, she does not desire to give up on crafts.

“I cannot keep myself with the pension I am receiving from the death of my husband and the weaving work was not bringing me any profits, hence I was obliged to do other jobs,” she said.

According to the National Chamber of Crafts, which has created a volunteer register, in Albania there are around 500 handicrafts of various fields, divided into two categories: 154 masters and 152 apprentices.

Nevertheless, the real number of artisans is believed to be many times higher.

Amfora Media carried out a survey to learn from artisans the situation of their businesses after price hikes. It resulted that 66.7% of the interviewees were women and 72.2% of the interviewees said that the main source of their household income comes from crafts.

Price hikes: The second blow for the artisans

Initially, Albanian masters faced restrictions brought by the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, considerably reducing their activity as a result of the drop in sales.

“There were months in which we sold absolutely nothing. I used the materials I had available to create baskets and the crises during the pandemic time hit me really hard,” recalled Margarita Laçka, an artisan from Pogradec for Amfora.

Artisans from Berat have also had difficulties and they continue to face issues. In Berat, the masters of the early tradition have organized themselves in the ‘Margarita’ Center.

“It began during the pandemic. It was a total blockage, from ensuring the raw materials to selling the products. It now continues with the price crisis,” analyzed Adelina Theodhori, an artisan and head of the ‘Margarita’ Artisan Center.

Artisans replying to Amfora’s survey in 72.2% of the cases said that they had felt the impact directly through “price increase of raw materials” and 22.2% through “drop in the demand and sales of their products”.

Chart legend:

What has been the impact in particular:

Blue: Drop in demand and sales of products

Red: Price increase of raw materials

The answers of the institutions, including the Ministry of Culture, revealed that artisans have not been aided during the pandemic or the price hike crisis, through financial schemes or other forms of support which would support artisans to survive the challenges that shocked the world economy.

In the answers of the 18 artisans to Amfora, price hikes forced them to reduce expenses, increase the price of products, and suspend their activity.

The representative of the artisans of Berat, Adelina Theodhori, said that artisans of that area have not profited anything at all from the government during these two crises.

“We have received nothing from the government, however thanks to donations and in cooperation with Berat Municipality, 5 artisans received 2000 euros for the strengthening of their small enterprises,” said Theodhori.

Part of the artisans has suspended TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number) in taxation authorities because as “Small Businesses” they have been unable to pay their monthly contributions to the social and health security, annual taxes, and other expenses which are necessary for the continuation of their activities.

Margarita Laçka is one of the artisans weaving with birch bark, a craft which is heading toward extinction in Albania and is nowadays considered rare. Nevertheless, she said that she cannot carry out her activity according to the taxation rules because she cannot ensure enough income to pay her taxes.

“I have my eyes on the summer. I hope that there are going to be more tourists this year, so I can sell my baskets. Nobody has supported me during these crises that we have been facing. I have received nothing,” said sorrowfully the 64-year-old woman, to whom the money generated from the sale of baskets is the main source of her household income.

The National Chamber of Crafts explained in an official response to Amfora that it has carried out a study which revealed that the activity of masters was halted and they faced many difficulties during their return to the market after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Artisans who are also small businesses in most cases, certainly face challenges in the current conditions. During the pandemic, we carried out a study to understand the situation of businesses and reached the conclusion that most of them had stopped their activities and faced many difficulties when they returned to the market,” explained the National Chamber of Crafts.

Few schemes and little support which is far from the reality of the artisans

In Albania, in all Districts across the country, some artisans continue keeping this early profession which is as old as the origin of humanity itself. Masters, through their creations, offer products that intertwine masterfulness, art, tradition, and imagination.

The Ministry of Culture, in its official response, did not elaborate on the schemes created to cope with the COVID-19 crisis and the price hikes after the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

The Ministry brought to attention the ‘2023 Artisan Fund’, a call for projects which support and promote artisans. It ended on February 25 and it admitted applications for financial support up to ALL 1 million.

Nevertheless, artisans say that suspension or closing of TIN has caused them many problems, prohibiting them from applying in such calls, which come through state institutions or various donors.

“I was registered up to two years ago. I had a TIN, however, I was forced to close it because I could no longer pay for my insurance as I wasn’t selling anything,” said Margarita Laçka, an artisan of weaving with birch bark.

Some of the artisans questioned by Amfora declared that they were highly interested in receiving support from the Ministry of Culture’s call for 2023, however, they admitted that the closing or suspension of TIN penalized them and they were unable to conceive by themselves a real project according to the guidelines of the call.

72.2% of the artisans who responded to Amfora admitted that they carried out their craft for more than 10 years and the vast majority of them, 44.4%, were textile processers.

Some of the masters are part of communities lacking basic education and technology, similar to the ones belonging to the Roma and Egyptian communities, known among others about the weaving of birch bark, which they have inherited through the centuries.

Adelina Theodhori, representative of the masters of Berat spoke about the very small number of artisans included in the small business scheme.

“The Center has 100 artisans, however only 10 of them have been registered with a TIN, meanwhile there are around 150 artisans in Berat and its suburbs,” explained Theodhori.

The General Taxation Directorate struggled in finding real data on the number of artisans with TIN, claiming that they lacked a specific identification code.

This directorate managed to find only 25 taxpayers across Albania who had identified crafts as part of their activity.

Moreover, the Ministry of Culture did not give an exact number of artisans in Albania, however, it revealed that during the implementation of the ‘Albanian Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage’ project,  among the 100 elements registered and 140 carriers contacted, around 35% of them were related to crafts.

According to the Ministry, it is the National Center of Traditional Activities that has the competence to create and update the list of artisans, however a look at the website of this authority revealed that it was out of function and according to public data, there are no figures regarding the number of artisans in Albania.

Half of the artisans responding to Amfora admitted that they had inherited their craft and 55.6% of the creations of the interviewees are purchased as ornaments.

Amfora has earlier reported about masters of stone processing in Berat or ornamental wooden ships in Durres, exposing the impact related to the lack of interest to inherit these crafts.

Among the artisans questioned lately, masters of working tools stated that the abandoning of working the land has brought a considerable drop in the demand for the purchase or repair of working tools in villages.

Even though in one case an artisan admitted that had profited from a grant from the Ministry of State for the Protection of Entrepreneurship, this authority officially responded to Amfora that artisans and their enterprises “are not part of the target and responsibilities of the ministry.”

18 artisans responding to Amofra admitted in 88.9% of the cases that their sales plummeted as a result of price surge and 94.4% of them had not been financially supported by the government or Municipality after price hikes.

They appreciated the call of the Ministry of Culture for artisans, which opened in January of this year, however, they expressed their regret that they did not fulfill the minimum criteria required.

“I, myself, cannot apply because I do not have a TIN. I asked my friends, and they had the same problem. There is a big desire to apply, however, we do not know how can we do it when we do not have a TIN,” Margarita Laçka said bitterly concluding the conversation.

“TIN is the primary condition, however, we should not forget that artisans are mostly middle and senior aged, hence they have many difficulties,” stated Adelina Theodhori, Head of the ‘Margarita’ Artisan Center in Berat concluding her description of the situation.

The post Price Hikes Crisis: The Second Blow for the Masters in Albania first appeared on Amfora.

Today, there are cultural monuments of the first category, such as the “Skanderbeg Castle” and the Shën Ndout Church (St. Anthony Church). Their existence are threatened in the last few decades due to erosion, climate change, and urban waste.

Amfora Media and the “EDEN” Center, which is of environmental character, have carried out an on-sight investigation to determine the current situation and the possible solutions which would improve the environmental situation at the Cape of Rodon.

• Planting vegetation and incorporation of sediments to address erosion

The Cape of Rodon, and in particular the Skanderbeg Castle found at its furthest edge, are facing coastal and soil erosion for several decades. Bio-engineering solutions are recommended to improve the situation caused by erosion.

“The mitigation of sea waves through incorporating sediments near the shore, which would mitigate the wave blows on the sandy steep slopes,” identified as the first solution the environment expert Ermelinda Mahmutaj.

“Hence, such a measure would impact the stabilization of the slopes. The sediments near the shore allow the beach to regenerate itself, especially after a sea storm,” she added.

The fortification built by Skanderbeg has now become isolated from visitors. The pedestrian trail has been damaged less than a year ago and the only way to approach the castle now is through the sea.

By listing the engineering actions which should be considered as interventions to address the present situation, the second solution recommended is tree planting and increase of vegetation on the naked slopes of the hills, through clearly defined and localized campaigns at the steep areas where vegetation has been either uprooted or burnt.

“There should be an intensification of monitoring and denouncements for those who break the law in general, and those who destroy the vegetation coverage at the Cape of Rodon in particular,” suggested Ermelinda Mahmutaj.

Underwater archeologist Adrian Anastai has been carrying out continuous campaigns for marine and land terrain recognition since 2003. He explains that there is not much early information on the landscape of the area, however, the medieval historical sources provide an approximate idea.

“The cape has been very rich in timber, from this viewpoint, it has been protected from erosion. This phenomenon has not been obvious, meaning it has not been as aggressive as it is today,” Anastasi stated.

“As a result of the seawater erosion, parts of the walls have sunk under the Adriatic Sea waters,” it is said in the records of this cultural monument.

Coastal erosion, soil erosion, landslides of the hills, and sea level rise are forecasted to ruin within the next few decades the fortification erected by Skanderbeg in two future scenarios. 

“This would bring the isolation of the castle and the worst-case scenario is its separation as an ‘island’ in the middle of the water, which would make it even more vulnerable to the different climate change effects. The castle would sink and ‘crumble’ in the water, drastically changing its surrounding landscape,” explained Mahmutaj.

The residents of the Shetaj village see the castle and the church as a symbol of the Ishëm area, while for the young people of this area, it is an opportunity to build their future through tourism.

Orgito Reka receives every visitor which goes to the Cape of Rodon. He politely raises and lowers the entrance barrier at the road which takes you to the peninsula, the territory which is administered by the Catholic Church through a private business.

“My peers, locals, and restaurants have similar jobs. This is how they work too,” the youngster said for Amfora Media.

“People are coming here even during the winter. There are visitors every day of the year, however, there are more tourists on Saturdays and Sundays. A couple of foreigners with a caravan arrived today,” Reka said.

“Everybody asks about the castle when they come and go. Some ask me why I didn’t tell them that there is no road taking them to the castle because they wanted to see it,” the 18-year-old boy added laughing and raising his shoulders as to remove blame because he was exhausted and forgot to remind the visitors of this important detail.

Not far from the fortification, there is the medieval “Chruch of Shën Ndout”, a cult monument that is protected even today, while historical sources show that the area once upon a time had several churches, monasteries, and assemblies.

“I came from Korça because I have heard many things about this holy church, hence I decided to visit it and pray for goodness,” said a man who was visiting this castle together with his family.

• The construction of natural barriers against the climate change

The Cape of Rodon enjoys the “Natural Monument” conservation status, due to its special natural, cultural, historic, and archeological characteristics and peculiarities.

A model which can be applied to reduce erosion has been implemented in New York in the United States of America and Oosterschelde in the Netherlands. It is related to the construction of artificial underwater walls/reefs with shells, which manage to mitigate waves and protect from erosion.

“Over time, these reefs can grow through the blocking of sediments and in this way, they can compensate for the sea level rise,” suggested as a second solution Mahmutaj.

For the fortification, known as Castle of Currila (Kalaja e Currilave, në Muzhlin e Skënderbeut), a project for conservative interventions was approved on December 21^st, 2020, according to decision no. 508, of the National Council on Tangible Cultural Heritage.

According to the Ministry of Culture, the earthquake of November 2019 caused damage to the castle. This institution admitted that in the last 5 years, there have been no conservation works on this cultural monument while the conservation project remains on paper for two years.

Among the solutions suggested, there is the creation of a protective barrier that would prevent/slow soil erosion caused by the advancement of seawater which will be done with three lines of concrete gabions (metallic cages filled with rocks).

According to the environment expert, Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) are the most suitable solutions, as officially defined in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) of 2009. They are part of the global strategy to aid people to adapt to the negative effects of climate change.

“We need to highlight that in the cases where the accumulation of natural barriers is slowlier than the sea level rise, in general, ecosystem-based adaptation is easier to be modified than engineering solutions of concrete structures for the coastal protection,” suggested Ermelinda Mahmutaj.

To read the full “Environmental overview” prepared by the EDEN Center for Amfora Media, read it below:

The fortification of Skanderbeg Castle has rectangular planimetry, equipped with four protection pillars and a turret. Even today, the main pillar which is 10 meters high, and several protection walls with 3.5 meters of thickness are preserved. It was built in 1451 together with a scaffold that would ensure the connection with the sea. Later on, the fortification was used by the Venetians.

• Investment at the catchments for plastic wastes and periodic cleanup

The Ishëm River is formed by the unification of the Tirana River with Tërkuza and Zeza streams. It drains at the Adriatic Sea tons of plastic wastes gathered throughout its flow which crosses Tirana, Vora, Kamza, Fushë-Kruja, and other areas of Kurbin, ending at the tight coast of the Cape of Rodon.

“The Municipalities along the Ishëm River should seriously invest for the waste collection and the small catchments to prevent waste from being discharged at the river, especially in the rural areas where the waste management service is not always present,” listed as a first solution for the urban wastes, environment expert Ermelinda Mahmutaj.

Several institutions need to coordinate their work to resolve the waste management issue at the Cape of Rodon, as well as its maintenance, administration, and functioning as a natural monument and a monument of cultural heritage.

“For the sustainable and effective resolution of the issue of the waste discharge at the Rodon from the Ishëm River, an interinstitutional group needs to be established to capitalize on the division of duties and responsibilities for the resolution of the problem,” suggested as part of the solution the environment expert.

“Durrës Municipality occasionally cleans up the estuaries of the Ishëm and Erzen Rivers, organizing actions as a municipality, but such a thing does not take place every day,” officially responded the Durrës Municipality.

As a solution specifically addressing plastic waste it has been suggested that the waste treatment and catchment plant at the Gotulla Reserve is put to work, as well as the resolution of the administrative procedure issue.

“The Ministry of Tourism and Environment should cooperate with the ‘The Ocean Cleanup’ initiative for the restoration and improvement of infrastructure of the Gotulla plant. Representatives of this initiative have expressed interest to invest and monitor this plant in Albania,” listed as part of the practical intervention Ermelinda Mahmutaj.

The Ministry of Tourism and Environment officially responded to Amfora Media that the construction of this plant cost ALL 202.603.181 (around EUR 1.7 million) while construction works ended in December 2017.

It was built by the “Integrated Technology Services” company, which later was placed under preventive seizure following an order of the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime, for its involvement as a subcontracting company in concessionary projects for the construction of incinerators.

The Ministry of Tourism informed that the act-calibration procedure of works has been carried out, without clarifying the current situation of the investment and whether it is still functional. Furthermore, the “Integrated Technology Services” company did not respond to our request for comments.

“Today this plant is out of function due to the lack of maintenance and disagreement between the local governments of the areas crossed by the Ishëm River regarding its administration,” stated expert Mahmutaj.

Archeologist Adrian Anastasi explained that for several years through the cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and the institutions which fall under its dependence, archeological expeditions have taken place, however, work has not been easy considering the piles of plastic waste over and under the water.

According to him, if erosion is present for decades or centuries, plastic is a phenomenon of the last 30 years, which cannot be resolved with cleanup actions.

“We have been there before. We have visited the area for our goals, to see the marine navigation-related phenomena,” said Anastasi speaking of the coast of the Cape of Rodon and the estuary of the Ishëm River.

• Awareness-raising of the visitors

Laura Gjyli, has organized cleanup actions in Albania, in particular at the Ishëm River estuary, for many years now in the framework of the “River Cleanup” world movement which aims to remove rubbish from water. She stated that according to the “The Ocean Cleanup”, this river drains to the Adriatic Sea some 730.000 kg of solid wastes, mostly plastic.

“There have been 20 schools and the Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës involved in our activities. The main focus of our work has been recycling and environmental education,” Gjyli said to Amfora Media.

She explained that the strategy has been focused on the cleanup of Ishëm River through the engagement of communication and education in schools and the university as well as the involvement of private companies and institutions.

Furthermore, for the environment expert, Ermelinda Mahmutaj, part of the solution is the creation of an awareness-raising campaign for the visitors who litter at the archeological and natural sites.

In their official response, Durrës Municipality stated that urban waste collection at the Castle of Rodon, which is a cultural monument, is done by the institutions which have cultural monuments under their dependence.

“… because the company which collects the wastes cannot approach the area which is around 20km away from the last village, which is Shetaj (the AFA Group company operates up to the Shetaj village),” responded the Durrës Municipality.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Culture explained that the Institute of the Cultural Inheritance Monuments does not administer information nor does it manage infrastructure for the collection of urban wastes. According to the environment expert, Ermelinda Mahmutaj, this concept should not exist anymore because the collection of wastes from natural and archeological sites should not be the institutions’ duty.

“Institutions of culture and environment which work in the monuments of the cape do not have the administrative mandate of collecting wastes. In the meantime, the Durrës Municipality cannot send its waste collection vehicles due to the rough terrain,” noted the environment expert.

“Hence the entire situation remains in the hands of the engaged citizen. The focus of the campaign should be awareness raising and informing the citizens who throw their rubbish on the road and nature. The collection of such trash does not fall under the competence of any institution, however, it is regulated by the Criminal Code, as ‘Environment Crime’ and is punished through fines,” concluded Mahmutaj.

The post Erosion and urban waste at the Cape of Rodon: Solutions for the salvation of the Skanderbeg Castle first appeared on Amfora.

After the 90s’ the “Mati Bridge” as it is also known, was declared out of function for the vehicles, and in 1999, it was declared a monument of culture. Nevertheless, residents of the area continued using it as a pedestrian bridge, until 2021 when one of its columns was damaged and sank at the Mat River bed, putting it in danger of collapse.

Amofra Media and “Eden” Center, which is of environmental character, have investigated the situation on sight, coming out with possible solutions which can improve the environmental situation and prevent the bridge collapse.

For Ermelinda Mahmutaj, who is an environment expert at “Eden” Center, several concrete measures need to be taken, so the monument gets out of danger, including the restriction of aggregate extraction activities, the mechanical incorporation of sediments, and the ban on constructing new hydropower plants.

These measures, according to the expert, will help the river flow return closer to its natural state as the water flow will continue without any obstacles. This would help the river rebuild its natural ecosystem into a wide bed with deposits and riverside forests.

• Restricting the excavation of aggregates from the bed of Mat River 

The damages on the bridge are accelerated by private companies which scoop out the river bed to excrete the gravel which is used as row material in construction, decreasing the bed depth and increasing the speed of the water flow.

“It is very important these companies do not carry out massive and everyday work, as is currently the case. The ecological balance must be conducted and environmental permits must be revoked for the companies which cause irreversible damage,” suggested Ermelinda Mahmutaj as a first solution to the problem.

The National Environment Agency listed 15 companies that have been equipped with an environmental permit to carry out their activity of extracting gravel from the Mat River. Meanwhile, there was only one company that had an environmental permit to carry out such activity near Zogu Bridge.

This activity has transformed the river bed and altered its river flow. “It has been proven that extraction of gravel from the alluvial plains is one of the main anthropogenous ways which brings morphological changes in the river flow”, analyzed for Amofra Media, Ermelinda Mahmutaj.

The Ministry of Culture clarified that the closest point of extracting gravel is 1 km away from the bridge, nevertheless, satellite images show that the point where the bridge is damaged is no further than 400 meters from the river bank where the private company carries out its work.

“This business carries out its activity normally and has created a high accumulation of gravel, like barriers, which hamper the water flow from reaching their activity. This has an impact on the narrowing of the bedside and the orientation of the river flow in a tighter “channel” and one direction”, analyzed Mahmutaj.

“This flow crosses the damaged column of Zogu Bridge, whereas the other column has also begun to be damaged,” she stated.

The continuous extraction of gravel has had an impact on the decrease of deposits in the river bed, by decreasing the bottom level and increasing the depth of the flow.

“…the continuous excavation of inerts has deviated the river flow to the weakest column of the bridge, where the feet are made of steel structures”, the Ministry of Culture officially confirmed this fact in its response to Amfora Media.

“The situation there continues to bloom when it comes to companies which continue excavating the Mat River bed, exploiting its aggregates and potential, as there are over 40 companies which illegally work there”, stated Elton Laska, an activist at the Sebastia Youth Center.  

He added that this number has come out of his empyrical investigation. Whereas in the satellite images and measurements, it appears that within a 7 km aerial distance from this bridge which is also a cultural monument, there are at least 8 businesses that extract gravel from the river bed.

“The conditions of obtaining an environmental permit for gravel extraction needs to be reviewed and no new business should be considered for a permit,” suggested environment expert, Ermelinda Mahmutaj, as the first possible solution from the administrative point of view.

The Ministry of Culture emphasized that it cannot intervene in the work of private businesses which extract gravel away from the area of the cultural monument, while the National Environment Agency stated that it has carried out periodic controls on businesses, without explaining the findings of these inspections or whether they have noticed legal violations.

• Incorporation of river sediments in the Zogu Bridge area

Thirst for gravel seems to be devouring this monument of culture. The high concentration of private companies in this area does not happen by chance but is rather due to the gravel layers which are very rich and in large quantities.

“It is at River Mat where “Kuatenari i Vonë”, has been discovered, which form the alluvial plain, which contains layers of thick gravels, with a maximal thickness of 200 meters and high permeability”, analyzed the environment expert from EDEN Center, Ermelinda Mahmutaj.

The second solution suggested by the expert is a mechanical one, rather than an administrative one. It is focused on the acceleration of the natural process of recovering the river bed and it is realized by incorporating sediments in the areas where the bed has been deepened due to the extraction of gravel from companies.

To perform mechanical incorporation of sediments, interventions at the river bed need to be done carefully, considering the origin of the gravel which should be extracted from the same river bank because the gravel of the area is very special and characteristic.

“This solution seems contradictory for the natural recovery because it requires the extraction of gravel, however, this is not the case. Here, we are not speaking of massive extraction but rather the extraction of a small number of aggregates to regulate the bridge columns,” analyzed as a second solution Mahmutaj.

To read the full “Environmental overview” prepared by the EDEN Center for Amfora Media, read it below:

“At the beginning of December [2022], the bridge suffered a new fissure, sinking even more and being in danger of collapse,” stated Laurin Sana, a young person from the area.

The mechanical solution needs to focus on the northern side of the bridge, increasing the number of sediments that will fill the bridge bed and will decrease the column’s exposure to erosion.

Due to a lack of funds from the government, Mahmutaj suggested that current companies extracting gravel contribute to the rehabilitation of the damage, as a quick solution that eliminates intervention delays.

“Similar to every environmental solution, this requires time, however, it is the most sustainable and long-term solution,” explained Mahmutaj for Amfora Media.

“Built in 1926 and concluded within a year, this infrastructural work made it possible for the very first time for Albania to be connected through a motorway, meaning the north and the south parts were divided until then,” said history researcher, Eraldo Kapri, speaking on the revolution this bridge brought to the country.

Elsa Sula was born in the Gërnac village of Milot in Northern Albania. The nearby Mat River divides the area into two parts and separates the north from the rest of the country. Elsa and her brother visited their relatives on the other side of the River by easily crossing a bridge.

“I remember when my brother and I were in the first protest for the protection of the bridge, our 85-year-old grandfather was watching TV, and when we returned home, he told us stories about all the memories he had from there”, Elsa Sula recalled.

“My father has many relatives in that area and he has crossed that road several times to visit his uncles and sees it as a childhood memory, but even later on when he was married in 1994, this was the place where he had his first wedding photos and it turned into a family conversation which unites 3 generations”, added the 27-year-old woman.

The young people of this area are protesting for two years now and are demanding from the authorities to take action for the protection of this monument and the ban on work of the private construction companies at the river bed which impacts the ruining of the bridge.

• The ban on new hydropower plants

The rivers and streams which supply the Mat River and form its drainage basin have been impacted by the construction of hydropower plants. Their dams and pipes have altered the water flow of Mat drainage basin.

“The hydropower plants planned to be constructed alongside the drainage basin of Mat River should be canceled. Otherwise, they will further contribute to the decrease of river sediments,” listed as a third solution for the reduction of erosion, environment expert Mahmutaj.

Amfora Media was officially informed by the Institute of Construction, the institution that specializes in the assessment of construction in Albania, that it has not been asked to provide an opinion on the condition of the bridge structure. The Institute of Geosciences confirmed that they have not conducted any studies for Mat River’s bed.

“The drop of the foundation level where the column is supported due to the decline of the number of river sediments has revealed the column which has no support and the continuous “blow” to the column by the tight river flow which has been oriented toward one direction”, said Ermelinda Mahmutaj explaining the damage of this bridge, which is also a cultural monument, after paying an insight visit to the monument and the nearby area.

“We have to add to all that the lack of restorations and maintenance of the monument for many years now, which make the bridge very vulnerable and have an impact in the acceleration of its degradation, leading to its collapse,” she added.   

“According to the expertise conducted by the experts of the respective fields, the reasons behind the structural damages are related to erosion (geomorphological and geological conditions), the exploitation of the river bed to excrete gravel, the change of the river flows which supply Mat River with gravels, resulting into low deposits at the alluvial plain”, confirmed the Ministry of Culture.   

The engineering work over Mat River was designed by the “father of concrete bridges”, the famous German engineer Emil Mörsch, whereas works were implemented by the brilliant engineers, Erwin Schniter and the young, Gjovalin Gjadri. Its initiator was king Ahmet Zogu, whose name has been given to the 478-meter-long bridge to honor him, hence “Zogu Bridge”. 

“This is the first public infrastructural work built by the Albanian state and it is the biggest work ever done,” stressed researcher Erald Kapri.

• Approach toward tourism

The transformation of the bridge into a tourist attraction and its promotion are seen by the experts as a great opportunity for the future of the monument, after another restoration phase is done, starting through concrete work by technical teams of engineers and environment experts.

“We should start a big campaign to raise funds for the feasibility, technical and environmental study and lastly for the investment. By bringing together institutions with Europa Nostra and with the support of the young people of Laç who have raised the issue, this would help in this direction”, recommended as part of the solution, environment expert, Ermelinda Mahmutaj.

For the young people, this bridge is a symbol of unity for the residents of the area and those that have many memories there, it connects them with their childhood, their visits to their relatives, and wedding photoshoots.

For two years now they have been protesting, demanding from the authorities to take action for the protection of this monument and the ban on work of the private construction companies at the river bed which affects the ruining of the bridge. Activists of Sebastia Youth Center have advocated for the monument to be included in Europe’s endangered list.

“It was Europa Nostra, which assessed this bridge as one of the 12 most endangered monuments of culture in Europe, then they immediately passed it to the 7 most endangered monuments”, said activist Elton Laska.

“It is considered an important achievement in the field of metal and concrete constructions over rivers in Southern Europe,” Europa Nostra wrote in their reasoning which aims at protecting important cultural monuments in Europe which are at risk of being destroyed.

Even though it has been declared a Cultural Monument of the first Category in Albania, its monument record says that only one moderate restorative work was done in 2010, without providing details about the works carried out.

According to the activists, Europa Nostra experts have expressed their desire to come and have a close-up look at the bridge, however, such a thing has not happened because Albanian institutions did not respond in time. 

“They have asked since October-November 2022 to come and have an on-sight verification. Based on that evaluation they could give us recommendations on how this bridge can be rescued,” said activist Elton Laska.

“Nevertheless, we once again saw the negligence and lack of reaction from our institutions whom they had officially asked for a meeting,” added Laska. 

“We are waiting for our institutions to take responsibility for this cultural heritage which is now highly endangered. Following the first precipitation of the last month, we have seen that it has been damaged even more and the situation is urgent”, explained Emarilda Leti, an activist at the Sebastia Youth Center.

For the young people of Sebastia Center who have gathered 3054 signatures through an online petition for the rescuing of the bridge and the cultural heritage experts, the engineering work must be protected through intervention for its restoration and the halt of activities that damage the surrounding environment.

“I really hope we will find the opportunity to save the bridge and restore it because it shows to the different generations a memory, which they really need to keep, especially of the 20^th century, which is the most important century for Albanians, and we need to save it for a long time”, concluded history researcher, Erald Kapri.

The post Zogu Bridge: Solutions to rescue this engineering masterpiece of the 20s’ first appeared on Amfora.