Lake Skadar in Montenegro, which is known as Lake Shkodra in Albania, has a number of fascinating characteristics. This generally shallow lake has very deep parts providing rich fishing grounds, and its tremendous water fluctuations allow extensive aquatic plant growth and provide a resting place for many migratory birds, including pelicans.

In Montenegro, the Skadar Lake National Park became a wetland of international importance (a Ramsar site) in 1996 and is managed by the public enterprise National Parks of Montenegro. The government of Albania designated it a protected area in November 2005. In February 2006, the lake and the Buna River with its delta on the eastern Adriatic coast also became a Ramsar site.

The area is currently undergoing rapid economic development, leading to pollution and increasing exploitation of natural resources. The complex governance systems of both countries and their lack of capacity are two of the challenges facing the lake region. In 2006, the World Bank asked SNV for help in facilitating a proposal for joint management and development of the lake by the two governments.

Key Local Actors:
The main clients of SNV were the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Water Administration of Albania and the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Protection of Montenegro and their respective departments.

The SNV team worked intensively with the two national consultant teams, which collected information and formulated concrete activities: in Albania, the Association for Protection of the Aquatic Wildlife of Albania; and in Montenegro, the Centre for Eco-toxicological Research of Montenegro. The Montenegro team also included the National Park, which is the organization in charge of the management of the entire lake. In Albania, where the protected area is yet to be developed, local communities were included in the preparation of the proposal.

Working Method:
After initial environmental and socio-economic assessments of the area were made, an important follow-up was the preparation of a strategic document defining the concrete action to be taken. SNV facilitated the preparation of the Strategic Action Plan (SAP) for this unique trans-boundary ecosystem. The clear goal from the very start was to assist both countries in developing one consistent document for the whole lake. The SAP is part of the preparation of the Lake Skadar/Shkodra Integrated Ecosystem Management Project, implemented by the World Bank. The Project’s overall objective is to assist the governments of Albania and Montenegro to achieve more sustainable use of the natural resources of the lake and its watershed.

SNV also included the Euronatur organization in the team to add its experience in trans-frontier cooperation in protected areas and wetland management, and to assist both governments in the SAP preparation process.

In July 2006, SNV Montenegro started the facilitation process between the national project coordination teams and the World Bank by means of a workshop in Virpazar. The national task managers and consultant teams from both countries then met in a series of workshops to agree on a joint methodology to prepare a plan at national level, which would eventually be merged into one regional SAP.

In August 2006, a joint visit by the consultant teams to the European Green Belt site Lake Neusiedl on the Austrian-Hungarian border provided interesting inputs and a better understanding of the SAP preparation process. During the five-day visit, the participants saw at first hand the importance of a well protected environment and landscape for regional development.

Impact:
From the beginning, SNV was able to streamline and to harmonize the work of both SAP preparation teams, based on a joint, agreed methodology. SNV also widened the strategic framework to make it the beginning of long-term institutional collaboration between the teams, by introducing examples from other areas and international standards for trans-frontier cooperation. The assistance of SNV was highly appreciated, and resulted in the World Bank requesting its active participation in the next phases of the project, particularly in the establishment of the lake management bodies.

In December 2006, the national teams met again with the World Bank and SNV experts in Shkodra, and merged the two national action plans into one matrix. The new joint strategic document will be used to request funding from the Global Environmental Facility for the Lake Skadar/Shkodra Integrated Ecosystem Management Project. This funding would enable the support necessary to preserve the biodiversity and guarantee the water quality of the lake, and help to reinforce a spirit of trans-boundary cooperation.

Statements:
Mr. Zamir Dedej, President of the Institute of Nature Conversation in Albania: “Personally, I think it is a well formulated plan as a result of strong cooperation between Albania, Montenegro, and SNV.”

Mr. Zamir Dedej: “All people around lake Skhodra were actively involved in the preparation of the document, which for sure will lead to concrete results. Time will tell.”