Climate-related economic losses

[No data available on Albania that are comparable with data from EU Member States.]

Based on the data obtained from various studies on climate change in the country, the annual precipitation has been decreasing. The distribution of precipitation during the year has changed significantly, resulting in heavy rainfall during the winter months and long periods in summer without rainfall. As a result of these changes, in the last decade, many floods have been observed. The greatest damage was caused in the north-west (Shkodra and Lezha regions). Based on the estimates made by agricultural experts, the resulting damage caused by floods to agricultural production in these regions amounted to about USD 100 million. Albania’s statistical data on yield and agricultural production in recent decades suggest that the level of inputs (chemical fertilisers, high-quality seeds, pesticides) and the level of modernisation (irrigation, harvesting technologies, etc.) have been growing at very low rates compared with those in EU Member States. In these conditions, considering the expected effects of climate change on agriculture, Albania’s gross domestic product will potentially lose between USD 800 million and USD 900 million of income from crop production by 2050. The adaptation measures identified in policy documents have been categorised and summarised in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).