Evaporite karst of Albania: Main features and cases of environmental degradation

The present paper focuses on the description of the main evaporite karst areas of Albania, and on their environmental problems. Even though the majority of the karst areas in Albania is represented by carbonates, evaporites crop out significantly at several sites, and deserve a specific attention for their morphological, karstic and speleological peculiarities. Vulnerability of karst is well marked by pollution and degradation problems in regions such as Dumre (central Albania), where some tens of lakes of karst origin are present in the Permian-Triassic evaporites. Water pollution with negative effects on the local ecosystems, and anthropogenic changes of the natural karst landscape in the last century resulted in intense environmental degradation at Dumre. Messinian evaporites crop out in the Kavaja area (near the Adriatic coast), and at other sites in central-southern Albania. In these areas, surface karst morphology is characterized by a number of dolines, ponors and blind valleys, which often correspond to inlet points of subterranean drainages and caves. Notwithstanding these peculiarities, and the relevance of the area for biospeleological studies, many caves have been destroyed by quarrying activities, resulting in severe losses to the natural heritage. Following a general description of the evaporite karst areas of Albania, the paper focuses on the present situation of the evaporites in the country, which is frequently affected by degradation and environmental losses in the karst landscape, and pollution of the aquifers. © 2007 Springer-Verlag.