THE RECIPROCAL EFFECT ON/FROM TOURISM DEVELOPMENT OF BUNA RIVER (ALBANIA) WATER QUALITY: A PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

The sustainable tourism development represents an indispensable goal for Albania, intending to ameliorate the financial incomes, tourism communities' satisfaction and the ecosystems performance.The current study focuses on assessing the water quality of Buna River by using multiparametric indicators, aiming to ascertain the interdependent impact with and from tourism pressure in the area.A triple seasonal and double year (2023-2024) water sampling was done from four stations, evaluating the temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, Escherichia coli concentrations of water samples.Parallelly the mean root length, mitotic index, frequencies of chromosomal aberrations and types were recorded by using the Allium cepa assay after treating the bulbs with the same spatiotemporal river samples.A sloping water quality deterioration as compared to negative control was detected in most in-situ/in-vivo investigations of spatial Buna River samples, particularly those of the summer 2024.The detected significant increase of temperatures, E. coli present colonies, relevant mitodepressive activity and chromosomal aberrations inducement by surface riverine samples negatively correlated with lessening of DO and reduction of onion root length.The data certified the negative conjunction of chemical pollution and reinforced climate change threatening the residential population and tourists' health using such water sources.Dynamic strategies to be implemented are proposed based on immediate financial investments, effective integration of the transboundary politics/practices by the Albanian and Montenegrin responsible authorities, tourism stakeholders and environmental education institutions to mitigate the macro-micropollutants discharge into the River, protect the natural resources and coordinate the appropriate environment and tourism management.