Kumbaro responds to Zhupa/ "The Protected Areas Law does not violate European directives"

2024-12-19 11:38:00, Politikë CNA

Kumbaro responds to Zhupa/ "The Protected Areas Law does not violate

Minister of Tourism and Environment, Mirela Kumbaro

In today's interpellation in the Parliament, the Minister of Tourism and Environment, Mirela Kumbaro, listed all the work done for the protected areas and the increase of their surface.

Kumbaro also accused the government before 2013, saying that it has caused damage to protected areas and biodiversity.

"The wealth and natural resources have been there for decades, but for all those decades no one wanted to take them, and no one paid attention to them as a priority, no, no! To abuse, destroy, build at random without a head, without a plan and with greed as our eyes have seen not far, but until 10 years ago during the previous government until 2013 when thousands and thousands of terrible boils were planted in the territory, in natural and cultural areas, in riverbeds and sandy beaches.... Yes, you bequeathed this to us! This has been the story in 25 years! And I won't mention Bathora, nor Tirana in 2000, but Ksamil, since it was a hill in the protected area, you degraded it to Bathora on the coast, removing every reason and argument for biodiversity that we, with the urban retraining programs, are bringing to the table , balancing the social problems of the population with roads, lighting, sewers, with restorations and requalifications of public spaces, increasing the value of objects that are already only part of history, but even by synchronizing the interventions of private investors in synergy with the territory, but with strict criteria and only with the decision of the KKT", said Kumbaro.

Regarding the new law on protected areas, Kumbaro stated that despite claims, the law does not violate any European Directive and respects the principles of the International Union for the Protection of Nature.

"As I told you, the new law concentrates the control and administration of these areas on the territory of the Agency of Protected Areas! The law does not violate any European directives, and respects the principles of the IUCN – the apex body when it comes to expertise in the management of protected areas, which in its guide to the management of protected areas states very clearly:

It is the states that have the final decision and responsibility for the administration and use of natural land and water resources, therefore it is these states that decide on the category and administration of a protected area. But you neither read these nor want to know, because you are looking for misinformation!", she declared./ CNA