Global warming and tourism, an explosive duo for the Albanian coast

As a result of climate change, rising sea levels are affecting the entire planet - between 1993 and 2023, the average sea level on Earth rose by 10cm, according to NASA.

In Albania, where tourism has exploded - from 5,9 million visitors in 2018 to more than 10 million in 2023 - the proliferation of hotels, restaurants, and beach bars is also taking its toll on nature.

"Of the 273 kilometers of coastline bathed by the Adriatic Sea, 154 km are affected by erosion," summarizes Besjana Shehu, an urban planning specialist.

Death of an Island

In Velipoja, in the far north of the country, the sea is advancing by more than five meters each year, and is sinking more than 200 meters into the forest, threatening an entire ecosystem that cannot survive in salt water.

On the coast, the pine trees are struggling to withstand the aggressive waves: dozens of tree trunks lie stranded on the sand, some left there by the violent storms of the last days of April.

And although Franz Josef Island, at the mouth of the Buna River, is still visible in tourist guides and on maps, it has been invisible since 2012: it was swallowed up by the sea.

Named by Austrian cartographers in 1870 in honor of the former Emperor Franz Joseph I, the island was created by fertile alluvial deposits.

Just 150 meters from the coast, its 19.5 hectares were covered with forests and wild vegetation. "A paradise for many species of seabirds, a haven of peace for us too... completely gone," laments Lule Coli, manager of a small beach bar, in a hushed voice.

The island gradually disappeared, a victim of rising waters and erosion. But the construction of dams and hydroelectric power plants in the region acted as sediment traps that hastened its demise, says geography professor Ervis Krymi.

A few kilometers further south, in Kune, residents are also worried. Year after year, sea storms increase, and the shoreline now resembles a tree cemetery.

"As a result of climate change in recent years, the sea has become very aggressive, moving towards the land at a frenetic pace," warns Jak Gjini, an environmental expert in Lezha.

Flood

Engulfed by the waves, the bunkers built along the coast by the Albanian communist dictatorship in the 1970s have disappeared, taking with them the small seaside bars run by local families.

The force of the sea was such that even bags filled with sand were of no use.

"There used to be two bunkers here. Now they're underwater. The sea is coming and will take everything from us... in four or five years there will be nothing left here," says Vera Faslliaj, who runs a small restaurant called "Poseidon," in a trembling voice, hoping that the Greek god of the sea will protect it.

Albanian authorities say rising sea levels pose severe flood risks to most of the country's urban areas.

"In total, by 2030, approximately 1.082,45 km2, or 32% of the surface area of ​​coastal habitats, will suffer direct consequences of flooding," estimates the Civil Emergencies Agency.

In Golem, 49 km southwest of Tirana, hotel owners are concerned about the authorities' indifference to finding solutions and banning uncontrolled urbanization on the coast.

"The sea can't wait for the authorities to wake up," complains Edvin Dule, a hotel manager.

The beach has lost about 70 meters of coastline in the past 16 years – the mushrooming hotels there have further exacerbated the erosion – and is shrinking the beaches they rely on to attract tourists.

"It's a very worrying phenomenon that has a direct impact on the economy and tourism: if we can't offer conditions, umbrellas, deckchairs, activities on the sand... we reduce the quality of our offer, which then translates into figures," says Mr. Dule.