a project to join

We represent an interdisciplinary research network at the Academy of Science in Albania, with a focus on water resources and aquatic ecosystems. This network brings together researchers from institutions across Albania, providing multidisciplinary expertise in water quality monitoring, ecological status assessment, anthropogenic impacts on surface and groundwater systems, ecotoxicology, environmental risk assessment, implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), and innovative water-monitoring technologies, including sensor-based approaches. Furthermore, our network has in-depth knowledge and monitoring data on the Vjosa River in Albania, one of Europe’s last largely intact, near-natural river systems. Vjosa provides an exceptional natural reference for Mediterranean rivers and an important benchmark for evaluating restoration and management strategies in more heavily modified river systems. The transboundary Aoos–Vjosa river system (Greece–Albania) also offers a valuable large-scale setting for testing ecological concepts, improving process-based understanding, and developing methodologies for assessing environmental conditions and anthropogenic pressures, with potential for comparative and transboundary studies within a broader European context.

Topic 1. Integrated Monitoring and Assessment for Sustainable Water Management

We are interested in joining projects under Topic 1: Integrated Monitoring and Assessment for Sustainable Water Management. We are particularly interested in
interdisciplinary collaboration on Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), River Basin Management, groundwater management, and the development of practical approaches for freshwater ecosystem monitoring, assessment, and management. A particular interest is the further development and implementation of WFD-based approaches in Albania, including methodologies and national standards for assessing the chemical and ecological status of natural water bodies. We aim to contribute our expertise, knowledge of Albanian aquatic ecosystems, and existing monitoring experience and data, while strengthening cooperation with European research partners and supporting the harmonisation of water assessment approaches with EU standards.

integrated water resources management (iwrm), water framework directive (wfd) implementation, freshwater ecosystem monitoring & assessment, water quality & ecological status assessment, river basin management, groundwater–surface water interactions, environmental risk & anthropogenic pressure assessment, innovative & sensor-based water monitoring, transboundary river basin research, vjosa–aoos natural reference river system

-