Discover the URBANFLOODS Pilot-Site in Albania: The Lana and Tirana River

The pilot URBANFLOODS project’s site includes the confluence of the Lana and Tirana Rivers within the Ishem River Basin, covering urban and peri-urban areas of Tirana. The Ishmi basin is a compound of four tributaries—the Lana, Tirana, Terkuza, and Zeza Rivers and these tributaries are collected by the Gjola River which joins the Zeza River to form the Ishem River which flows into the Adriatic Sea.

The highest point of the Basin is located on the east side near the mountains (Mali me Gropa and Selita Springs) The basin spans 726.3 km², with the Tirana River (40 km) and Lana River (20 km) as major tributaries flowing into the Ishem River, eventually reaching the Adriatic Sea.

The flood risk areas in the pilot site

The primary cause of flooding in the Tirana and Lana Rivers is intense rainfall, especially during the wet season (October to April). Sudden, high-intensity rainstorms often result in rapid runoff, overwhelming the rivers’ capacity. Furthermore, the Lana River and Tirana River, near Tirana city, contribute to urban flooding, impacting infrastructure and residential areas within the city and its surroundings.

URBANFLOODS project is a forward-thinking initiative aimed at boosting urban resilience against the growing threat of floods particularly targeting rivers and streams in the urban environment of the Adriatic-Ionian region.

The climate change and especially the flash floodings in the Urban areas have made necessary the intense studying of floodings and major control in the existing structures. Evaluating these new challenges especially in flash floodings in the Urban areas, “Hydrowater-Albania“as local partner is involved in the URBANFLOODS project, titled “Promoting Urban Resilience Through an Integrated Advanced Decision Support System for Flood Control” Funded by the Interreg IPA ADRION programme. The major activity of project is based on the studying and modelling the pilot site area in order that in the future to adapt more effective flooding measures in the high risked areas in the Urban areas.