The study, “Climate Change Adaptation Actions in Tirana,” discusses the changing weather patterns in Tirana, its consequences, and the city’s climate adaptation responses to the problem.
Tirana, a city in Albania, is experiences increases in temperatures causing hotter summers and more heatwaves. In some urban areas where there is a density of buildings, structures, and pavements – an urban heat island can occur, which raises demands for cooling or power to cool its residents.
Increasing intensity of rainfall and its changing patterns either brought about flooding, riverside erosion or contributes to droughts and dry days, which increases spending for cooling and health services for the elderly and vulnerable population.
The city identified a need to integrate climate change into urban planning, and for decision making into sectors like water infrastructure, public services, and transport to address these changing weather patterns.
To determine the areas or sectors that needs adaptation, researchers have used a Climate Compass tool that includes a vulnerability assessment. The results of the vulnerability assessments have identified areas that needed adaptation that researchers of the study used as case studies.
These areas have the flowing characteristics:
- highly urbanised areas with medium to high-rise buildings,
- the infrastructure that is under stress due to high population and growth, spaces with illegal structures,
- limited or no green areas,
- areas at risk for river flooding,
- areas with large roads and intensive traffic,
- poor air conditions, and
- with a high risk of urban flooding.
The study has also identified good climate adaptation practices in the city. These practices consist of ongoing Tirana river restoration that will mitigate flood risks and improve the banks, eradication of waste and river pollution. Improvements in the city centre area that includes developing new Boulevards, housing areas, and green corridor, focus on sustainable solutions, climate-friendly designs, and constructions.
The study states that this ongoing climate adaptation work and will produce interim results that can serve as a guide to city administrators, decision and policy-makers to do to further adaptation work. These adaptation projects are mostly structural measures – green structures, water system, building design.
However, non-structural measures are also considered in-depth in the study, which can be used by sectors and municipality facing the same climate change issues.
Climate adaptation is beginning to take momentum around the world as governments and communities acknowledges that doing climate actions both adaptation and mitigation are sustainable actions in the long-term as it can reduce losses, preserve assets, and communities.
The study discusses practical climate adaptation solutions that communities and local governments can apply in their areas.
To know about these adaptation actions that Tirana city is doing, click the link below:
Source citation:
Malltezi, J., Hanxhari, R., Zela, G., & Sulejman, S. (2015). Climate Change Adaptation Actions in Tirana. Agricultural University of Tirana. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/29601839/Climate_Change_Adaptation_Actions_in_Tirana
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