Integrated Resources Management Plan (IRMP) for the Buna/Bojana Area (Albania and Montenegro)

The Integrated Resources Management Plan (IRMP) considers the impacts of activities upstream of the Buna/Bojana River basin on conditions in the downstream coastal zone and the Buna/Bojana basin itself, as well as the effect of tourism and agricultural and urban development on the broader coastal zone and catchment area, mainly in terms of water quality and availability. The plan also takes into account coastal impacts caused by the interaction of seawater and freshwater, influenced by marine currents and extreme meteorological episodes, which can have a profound influence on the river delta and coastal aquifers. To address these impacts, the plan combines established methodologies for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) into a single “Integrative Methodological Framework” (IMF). The plan also applies an ecosystems approach to the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use of resources in an equitable manner