At least 30,000 people have been affected by natural catastrophes in Albania annually since 1995. Albania ranks first in Europe when it comes to the danger of being exposed to wildfires and floods, according to the World Risk Index.
Developments in the past decades, fueled by climate change, have directly catapulted the country under the red category.
The World Risk Index determined that the risk in Albania is 8.46, while the average in Europe is 5.2. According to a study from the World Bank, from 1995-2015, an average of 30,000 people were stricken by natural catastrophes in the country of 2.8 million inhabitants.
As per the same study, more than 95% of municipalities experienced a natural catastrophe at least once, while the economic costs brought by the disasters might increase even further as a result of economic growth.
Climate change also poses another danger, that of augmenting the frequency of disasters such as floods and storms, the World Bank warns.
Since the end of July, several fires have raged around the Albanian territory, while the country was still trying to get on its feet following a devastating 6.4 magnitude earthquake that struck in November 2019 that claimed the lives of 51 citizens.
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