About GEO-WB6

The Geoinformation Center for Sustainable Development in the Western Balkans (GEO-WB6) is an independent, non-profit organization registered under Albanian law. Operating without political, commercial, or religious affiliations, the Center is headquartered at the Agricultural University of Tirana (AUT).

Mission & Core Purpose

The Geoinformation Center for Sustainable Development in the Western Balkans (GEO-WB6) is a regional hub based at the Agricultural University of Tirana, dedicated to advancing capacity building, spatial data analytics, and digital innovation across Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. By leveraging GIS, remote sensing, AI, and information technology, the Center empowers public institutions and communities to tackle environmental challenges, modernize agriculture, and achieve the UN 2030 Agenda targets.

GEO-WB6 plays a pivotal role in accelerating the Western Balkans' EU integration process by strengthening regional technical capacities to fulfill key accession requirements:

• Chapter 11: Agriculture and Rural Development
• Chapter 12: Food Safety, Veterinary, and Phytosanitary Policy
• Chapter 13: Fisheries
• Chapter 27: Environment and Climate Change

Key Objectives & Areas of Activity

GEO-WB6 addresses technical barriers, data gaps, and environmental challenges through targeted expertise and spatial data infrastructure:

1. Regional Data Infrastructure & Expert Network

• Geoportal & Data Hub: Serves as a regional hub providing freely accessible geospatial datasets for rural development, agriculture, and natural resource management across the Western Balkans.
• Knowledge Exchange: Strengthens and connects the regional network of geoinformation experts, decision-makers, and academic institutions.

2. Education & Professional Capacity Building

• Technical Training: Delivers specialized courses, workshops, and training in GIS technologies, remote sensing, spatial data analysis and digital cartography.
• Institutional Support: Enhances human resource capacities within public and private institutions for data-driven environmental and territorial planning.

3. Smart Agriculture, Innovation & Food Safety

• Precision & Digital Farming: Advances farm digitization using satellite imagery, drones, sensors, AI, and analytics to monitor crop health, predict yields, and optimize resource use.
• EU Alignment & Traceability: Drives food safety monitoring (EU Chapter 12) through early warning systems, digital product traceability, and enhanced phytosanitary and veterinary supervision.

4. Environmental Protection & Natural Resource Management

• Ecosystem Preservation: Provides technical expertise for the sustainable management of forests, water systems, agricultural land and biodiversity.
• Blue Economy Integration: Develops spatial management plans for marine and inland waters, optimizing fishing, aquaculture and coastal resource policy.

5. Climate Action, Resilience & Risk Management

• Climate Adaptation: Drives awareness, mitigation, and adaptation strategies to protect agriculture and ecosystems from climate impacts.
• Disaster Prevention: Formulates risk management and early assessment systems for natural hazards, including floods, droughts, frosts and wildfires.

6. Sustainable Territorial Planning & Green Economy

• Spatial Governance: Advises on evidence-based public policies, territorial governance, decentralization, and ecological infrastructure design.
• Economic Development: Fosters agrotourism, ecotourism, green business opportunities, and sustainable urban-rural development strategies.