According to the Director of the National Environmental Agency (AKM) Julian Beqiri, Tirana continues to be the most polluted city in Albania during 2016.
Overall, Beqiri stated, municipalities continue to perform poorly in terms of pollution reduction and waste management, in spite of the territorial reform, which was expected to increase the efficiency of municipalities in this regard.
Moreover, very little action is undertaken against acoustic pollution, which is ranked second after environmental pollution based on the health risks it poses. Especially in Tirana, acoustic pollution remains an enormous issue. During the day, acoustic pollution in the city 17.23% above the maximum level, while during the night is 24.91% higher.
Several cities are also at risk as regards environmental pollution: Fier, Lushnja, and Lezha. Also Korça is problematic in the winter, due to the frequent usage of wood stoves.
By contrast, the pollution of sea water has been considerably lowered, although there are still issues with the lack of infrastructure and informality.
