The Albanian Parliament has passed a 10-year moratorium on chopping down trees for industry or export purposes. The law drafted by the Ministry of Environment allows local authorities to approve limited wood-cutting for heating. Albania's 1.4 million hectares (3.5 million acres) of forests have been savagely cut or burnt over the past 26 years since the fall of the communist regime, with an average of 2.5 million trees chopped down each year. Minister of Environment Lefter Koka said that this radical decision has come after measures failed to stop the loss of woodland, which has contributed to the flooding the country experienced in recent years.
Source: http://www.mjedisi.gov.al/al/newsroom/deklarata-per-shtyp/hyn-ne-fuqi-moratoriumi-ne-pyje-ne-republiken-e-shqiperise
