Law no. 29/2024 on water resources.

The purpose of this Law on water resources is the protection of water resources and the improvement of the water environment of the Republic of Albania, ensuring their preservation, development and use as rational as possible, necessary for life and for the socio-economic development of the country. The object of this Law is to define the legal and institutional framework for administration and management of water resources, with the aim of: a) protection, improvement and prevention of further deterioration of the status of ecosystems-waters related to their water needs, terrestrial ecosystems and wetlands, which are dependent directly from these ecosystems; b) promoting the sustainable use of water, based on the long-term protection of available water resources; c) strengthening the protection and improvement of the water environment, among others, through the implementation of special measures for: progressive reduction of discharges, emissions and losses of priority substances, cessation or the gradual reduction of discharges, emissions and losses of priority hazardous substances from resources and industrial activities; pollution control from urban wastewater sources; control of nitrate pollution from sources of agricultural origin. d) progressive reduction of groundwater pollution and prevention of their further pollution; e) mitigating the effects of floods and droughts, contributing to: ensuring sufficient supply of surface water and underground water quality, according to the needs for sustainable, balanced and fair use of water; significant reduction of groundwater pollution; protection of territorial and maritime waters; fulfilling the objectives of relevant international agreements, including those aimed at prevention and elimination of pollution of the marine environment through actions to stop or reduce gradually to zero discharges, emissions and losses of priority substances. f) determining the full coordination of all activities between the competent authorities related to the granting of relevant environmental authorizations, permits and concessions for the use of protection of water bodies.
The text is structured into seventeen main thematic Chapters and a total of 180 articles. Titles of these Chapters are as follows: I. General provisions; II. Management of water resources; III. Environmental quality objectives; IV. Analysis of river basin regions; V. Register of protected areas; VI. Monitoring and measures to achieve environmental quality objectives; VII. Public information and reporting; VIII. Protection of groundwater from pollution and deterioration; IX. Pollution control; X. Flood risk assessment and management and protection from flooding; XI. Use of water resources; XII. Authorizations and permits for the use of water resources; XIII. Protection of coasts, waterworks and water objects and easements; XIV. National water resources registry and register of permits, authorizations for the use of water resources; XV. Financial provisions; XVI. Administrative violations; and XVII. Final and transitional provisions.