TIRANA, ALBANIA--In the framework of National Water Week, 2-8 November, USAID and the Water Supply and Sewerage Association of Albania (SHUKALB) organized a joint ceremony to launch the project “Sustainable Water Sector Capacity Development in Albania” in Tirana.

USAID Director for Albania, Marcus Johnson, President of SHUKALB and Director of Korça Water Utility, Petrit Tare, as well as the General Director of General Directorate of Water Supply and Sewerage, Ardian Alushi, delivered remarks at the ceremony. Present at the ceremony were representatives of Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth, Water Regulatory Authority, Faculty of Civil Engineering, SHUKALB Board of Directors, donors community in Albania, and partner Water Associations in the Western Balkans, as well as in Europe.

The Project has been recently awarded to SHUKALB by USAID, with a budget of 1.3 million USD, with ten percent cost share from SHUKALB, and will be implemented over the course of three years. The overall Project Objective is to build a platform for training in Albania and the Western Balkans that will be an example of sustainable workforce development and which will contribute to the increased professionalism in delivery of the essential public services of water supply and wastewater management.

USAID and SHUKALB are enthusiastic about this project, and believe that building the capacities of people who work to deliver water supply and wastewater management services, is a crucial aspect in the efforts to achieve the required quality standards of these vital services.