The Kosovo Forestry Agency, at the invitation of the General Director of the National Forest Agency of Albania, participated in an important event that marked the opening of the project “Creating a Management Model to Combat the Pine Processionary Pest”, funded by the Italian-Albanian Debt for Development Swap Programme (IADSA).
At this event, which was organized with the participation of various stakeholders from forestry institutions, foundations, environmental associations and experts in the field, the Kosovo Forestry Agency was represented by the Executive Director, Mr. Fidan Dema, who emphasized the importance of cooperation between the institutions of the two countries to address the challenges posed by the pine processionary pest and to create sustainable management models.
Other participants included Mr. Artur Kala, Director General of the National Forestry Agency of Albania, who in his welcoming speech emphasized the importance of such projects for improving the state of forests and building human capacities, and Mr. Fatbardh Sallaku, Rector of the Agricultural University of Tirana, who emphasized the necessity of cooperation between law enforcement agencies and higher education institutions to combat the effects of climate change.
The event focused on several important topics, including the challenges of forest health in the context of climate change, the development of a management model for combating the processionary moth pest, and control measures to prevent the spread of this dangerous pest.
The main activities of the project include the development of operational protocols for the control of the processionary moth, the strengthening of laboratories for the reproduction of the insect Calosoma sycophanta, and the training of forest service staff in the affected municipalities.
This project is an important step towards strengthening international cooperation and offers an excellent opportunity for developing capacities for forest management and biodiversity protection in both countries.
