Albania is a small, mountainous country located in southeastern Europe facing the Adriatic Sea. Albania has many water resources that constitute an important source of hydropower, including torrential rivers and glacial, karstic and tectonic lakes. After almost 50 years of Communist government prohibiting private ownership and private enterprise, leading the country to an economic isolation, many economic reforms took place and the country saw a quick economic growth. Less than half the population live in urban areas. Poverty is 66% higher in rural areas than in Tirana, the capital, and it is 50% higher in rural areas than in other urban centers. People in the rural areas depend on agriculture for their livelihood. The high rate of poverty in Albania makes the country more vulnerable to extreme events such as floods, earthquakes, extreme temperatures, epidemics, and sea level rise.
The Ministry of Environment is the focal point for coordinating and developing climate strategy in Albania. Albania is a part of European Union legislation, including legislation on climate change and is a contracting party of the Energy Community Treaty. Albania ratified the Paris Agreement on September 21, 2016 and the associated Intended Nationally Determined Contribution can be found here.