TIRANA, May 5/ATA/ Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu stated today that regional cooperation is critical to curbing the 1-1.5% annual GDP loss the Western Balkans suffers from climate-related disasters.
During the regional climate conference currently underway in Tirana, Koçiu stressed that the climate crisis leaves us no choice but to stand united.
“Nature knows no borders. Last winter showed us that floods and storms threaten our region uniformly. We must ask ourselves: are we united, and are we in time? In the face of a shared climate crisis, unity is our only alternative,” said Koçiu.
Further on, the deputy prime minister stressed that the path to the EU prosperity and climate sustainability is one and the same: accelerating collaborative action, shared resources and collective decision-making.
“Climate change is a top high on the agenda of every present-day European roundtable”, said Koçiu.
Hence, she calls for strategic investments in durable infrastructure, expert-backed agricultural adaptation and proactive crisis management.
“Climate finance is an investment in our shared security, not charity—without funding, this talk is meaningless,” she added.
Secondly, Koçiu highlighted the critical role of data, citing the maxim that ‘you cannot manage what you cannot measure.’ Because meteorological services act as the nervous system of sustainability, she urged for functional, international cooperation that unites warning systems, operational response and financing.
Koçiu highlighted the need for regional collaboration on best practices for climate-related disaster management, emphasizing investment in innovative early warning systems and civil protection technologies. /j.p/p.s./
