Environment

Durrës is the second largest city in the country with a population of 200,000 inhabitants, the main port and one of the most popular tourist destinations (maritime and cultural tourism). Population growth (doubling since 1992), economic growth, improving living standards, and the development of tourism have increased the rate of consumption and consequently the rate of waste generation and its volume. The city collects and transports waste through its two municipal enterprises. The city deposits its waste in the only landfill in Porto Romano (which is a landfill by standards), which was opened in the early 1990s and is expected to have a lifespan of 25 years (2015). The costs of waste management (cleaning, collection, transport and disposal) are covered by the municipal budget.

Addressing and resolving the issue of solid waste management in an affordable, sustainable and environmentally sound manner is a priority for Durrës. For this reason, Durrës has decided to take the first steps towards improving its waste management services by preparing a Local Waste Management Plan. To this end, the Municipality of Durrës has been supported by the IFC* team (see Note at the end of this section) to prepare its LWMP. The IFC team of consultants conducted observations of waste management operations in Durrës by visiting waste collection points and disposal sites, examining the equipment used, and interviewing citizens and relevant stakeholders.

During the preparation of the PLMM, the Municipality of Durrës (relevant Directorates of the municipality and Municipal Services Enterprises) has contributed by providing data, organizing several meetings and a round table (February 16, 2010), with relevant stakeholders (public institutions, business community, civil society, municipality representatives) to achieve a common vision, goals and objectives for waste management services for a 15-year period (2010-2025).

The objective of this PLMM is only the Municipality of Durrës and this PLMM analyzes the current situation of urban waste management in the city (organization, administration, regulations, finances, operation and management), identifies issues and gaps, assesses strengths and weaknesses, proposes recommendations for improvements and defines new visions, goals and objectives (short-term, medium-term and long-term) and has drafted an Action Plan defining the timelines, costs, responsible authorities as well as the respective success indicators for monitoring purposes. This PLMM does not address the strategy of Durrës for the management of non-urban waste, including hazardous waste, construction waste and port waste. This area of ​​waste management should be addressed in the strategies and plans of the units responsible for these waste streams and should be attached as Annexes to the PLMM in future updates.