TIRANA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Albanian ministry of agriculture, rural development and water administration will promote investments in forestry to reduce human-induced forest degradation and increase communities' income in targeted project areas, local media reported Sunday.
It is the first time that the Albanian authorities will work with the World Bank office in Albania to support projects designed to preserve and revitalize mountain ecosystems by promoting investments in forestry, the ministry sources was quoted as saying.
The World Bank gave Albania a grant of 4 million U.S. dollars under an environmental services project in May.
According to Ministry sources, the funds will be given to some 260 associations of forest and pasture users as well as 200 forest owners and farmers, in the form of compensation for their financial loss in forest restoration.
Meantime, the Albanian agriculture experts say that the objective of the project is to restore, preserve and improve mountain ecosystems by improving agriculture and forestry that depend on them, as well as to address climate change.
