At a Glance
Grant amount: US$250,000
Implementation period: April 15, 2023 – June 30, 2026
Disbursement: US$123,148 (as of December 31, 2025)
Bank lending operation: Project for Integrated Urban and Tourism Development (P155875) and Additional Financing (P171438)
o Loan amount: US$105.6 million (incl. AF)
o Board approval: November 15, 2016 (P155875), January 19, 2022 (P171438)
The grant supports the implementation of the Albania Project for Integrated Urban and Tourism Development (PIUTD) and its Additional Financing (AF) in a climate-informed way to reduce GHG emissions and increase climate resilience of infrastructure.
PIUTD aims to improve urban infrastructure, enhance tourism assets, and support tourism-driven local economic development in selected areas of southern Albania. The project finances the rehabilitation of cultural heritage sites, upgrades public spaces and tourism infrastructure, and improves access to key tourist destinations. It also strengthens the capacity of local institutions to manage assets, deliver services, and sustainably support tourism growth and project implementation.
This ECA C&CC grant consists of three components: Component 1 provides the Albanian government with guidance on how to integrate climate change considerations into the technical designs for urban upgrading in the four PIUTD project municipalities (Berat, Permet, Gjirokastra, and Saranda) as well as the three additional municipalities covered under the Additional Financing (AF) (Ksamil, Orikum, and Borsh). Component 2 strengthens capacities of local and national stakeholders for climate-smart urban upgrading and resilience. Component 3 consolidates experiences integrating climate change mitigation and adaptation considerations in World Bank regional development and tourism projects to provide guidance to similar projects.
Implementation Highlights
Energy efficiency and climate resilience measures were successfully integrated into urban upgrading investments in the original PIUTD municipalities as well its AF. A strategy for Saranda’s urban mobility on green mobility and traffic management was also developed. Further activities included site visits and stakeholder engagement that helped to identify mobility as a key challenge and informed the design of emissions-free public transport solutions in the three AF municipalities.
Last Updated: Jun 22, 2026
