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LAKE OHRID: Our Lake, Our Future

World Heritage Supplement to the Management Plan for the Pogradec Protected Landscape (Albanian
side of Lake Ohrid): A summary

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The Lake Ohrid region: Natural and cultural heritage of global importance

Situated on the Albanian-Macedonian border, the Lake Ohrid region has a rich history and numerous
cultural and natural values. Its physical conditions, outstanding age and geographical isolation have
enabled an exceptional biodiversity to develop and flourish, making the region a biodiversity hotspot of
global importance. Some of Europe’s earliest human settlements also border Lake Ohrid, and
archaeological evidence of ancient towns, heritage routes, defensive constructions, and early Christian
ruins have resulted in the immense cultural heritage of the whole Lake Ohrid region.
Because of its significant natural capital and overlapping cultural influences, the Macedonian part of the
Lake Ohrid region was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1979 as a natural site, and in 1980 as a
mixed (natural and cultural) site. An international initiative is underway to ensure protection of the
entire Lake Ohrid region by extending the existing Macedonian World Heritage Property to include the
Albanian part of the lake.

The ongoing effort to extend the World Heritage property and its buffer zone seeks to maintain and
conserve the region’s remarkable values. Key natural values include: the physical environment and
biodiversity of the lake, biodiversity of the wider Lake Ohrid catchment, and ecosystems of the buffer
zone. Cultural heritage values such as archaeological sites, historically significant buildings, and oral
traditions are of particular importance for conservation. Wise management of tourism, agriculture and
forestry, and ecosystem services should ensure that the natural and cultural values continue to interact
harmoniously in the area.
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Justification of Outstanding Universal Value

To justify inscription on the World Heritage List, a property must demonstrate that it is of Outstanding
Universal Value to humanity. This means that a chosen location’s cultural and/or natural significance is
so exceptional it transcends national boundaries, and is of common importance for present and future
generations of all humanity. The convergence of well-conserved natural values and cultural significance
makes Lake Ohrid region truly unique, and permanent protection of this heritage is of the highest
importance to the international community as a whole.

Lake Ohrid is the oldest lake in Europe and one of the oldest in the world. Because of its very old age,
geography and ecology, a unique collection of plants and animals has evolved. A number of relict
species, or “living fossils”, and endemic species including 10 species of fish and numerous species of
molluscs, worms and sponges can be found only in this lake. Lake Ohrid supports around 1,500 species,
out of which more than 300 are endemic; for its size, Lake Ohrid is probably the most biologically
diverse lake in the world. The wider catchment also harbours endemic and rare species, designating
the entire ecosystem as a centre for biodiversity and landscape conservation.

The Albanian side of Lake Ohrid region is also rich in cultural heritage. The early Christian churches on
Lin Peninsula are known for the well-preserved floor mosaics that are of outstanding artistic value.
Archaeological findings in the castle area of the city of Pogradec, as well as vernacular architecture in
the historic centres of Pogradec, Lin and other local villages, provide rare evidence of 19 th-20th century
town planning and associated building arts. Furthermore, the Royal Tombs of Selca are evidence of the
ancient Illyrian civilization, and the remnants of Neolithic pile dwellings, around and under Lake Ohrid,
demonstrate that the region has been continually inhabited since the prehistoric period.

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Ongoing and potential threats

The lake’s rich biodiversity and cultural resources are threatened by pollution, unsustainable use of
natural resources, and poorly planned and executed urban development. Surface and groundwater
systems are affected by organic pollution from untreated sewage and wastewater from settlements
around the lake, fish farms near Drilon Springs, agricultural pesticides, and heavy metal contamination
from mining operations.

Some of the endemic fishes and ecological communities have noticeably declined over the last few
decades. Fish resources in the lake are being depleted through overfishing, illegal fishing, competition
with non-native species, and habitat degradation by pollution and lakeshore developments and
destruction. A noticeable increase in the illegal appropriation, capping, and development for
aquaculture of springs at Drilon has become a major cause of pollution and introduction of alien invasive
species. The management of fisheries is further exacerbated by a lack of effective transboundary
management in this regard.
There has been a significant increase in inappropriate development of roads and infrastructure between
Pogradec and Tushemisht, as well as in Lin village and peninsula. The lakeshore is being rapidly
urbanized, leading to habitat fragmentation and degradation, as well as an increase in pollution and
human traffic. Lack of maintenance and protection for sites of cultural importance, combined with
limited awareness and opportunities for public engagement, has led to the degradation and decay of
historic buildings and a loss of the area’s distinctive local character, traditional skills and physical
environment.

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Towards more effective management of transboundary Lake Ohrid

The entire Albanian part of the prospective World Heritage property and the buffer zone around it
coincide with the territory of the Pogradec Protected Landscape and is entirely within the boundaries of
PogradecMunicipality. The proposed extension includes the whole of the Albanian part of Lake Ohrid,
Lin Peninsula, the coastal strip north to the Macedonian border, and Drilon Springs with the
watercourses linking them to Lake Ohrid, covering 11,378.6 hain total. The proposed extension also
includes a buffer zone comprising 15,944.4 ha.

Efforts to encourage more effective management of the Albanian part of the Lake Ohrid watershed have
gained momentum with the Management Plan for Pogradec Protected Landscape for the period of
2014-2019. In order to specify how the Outstanding Universal Value of the prospective property should
be preserved, a World Heritage Supplement to this document has been drafted in 2016.

The World Heritage Supplement is integrated with the Local General Plan for Pogradec Municipality and
the management plan for the Macedonian part of the World Heritage Property. It provides a basis for
coordinated and integrated management between the main responsible entities in Albania: the
Municipality of Pogradec, the Ministry of Environment (and through it the Local Environmental
Inspectorate), the National Agency for Protected Areas working through its Regional Agency (RAPA), the
Ministry of Culture (including the Institute of Cultural Monuments), and the Regional Directorate of
National Culture in Korça. The document sets out a long term vision for the region as World Heritage,
developed by the main stakeholders:

‘Lake Ohrid region with its unique and inspiring landscape, where
natural and cultural values are intertwined with traditional ways of
living, constitutes a natural and cultural history archive, a sustainable
tourist destination and a source of pride for the regional and national
identity’.

In order to achieve this Vision, the following management objectives are identified:

Deterioration of the physical and chemical environment of the lake and its associated ecosystems is
halted and reversed.
Cultural heritage is protected and sustained in its built and open landscape setting, understood and
appreciated by the residents and visitors of the Lake Ohrid region.

Construction, location and scale of buildings and infrastructure respect the ecological, cultural and
landscape values of the area.

World Heritage status of the Lake Ohrid region encourages and facilitates sustainable nature and
culture-based tourism and recreation.

The buffer zone of the World Heritage Extension Property is managed to protect its integrity and
viability and to enable sustainable livelihoods for local communities.

Management plans for the Lake Ohrid region are implemented and integrated with other local
strategies and plans.

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Partnership governance and management

The overall approach to governance of the Albanian side of the World Heritage property will be co-
management, under the guidance of the existing Management Committee for the Pogradec Protected
Landscape. It will be modified to meet the management needs of World Heritage sites.
Under co-management, all partners cooperate in managing the area and implementing the
management plan within their own mandates and responsibilities. This is achieved by endorsing the
management plan and integrating its objectives as far as possible into existing plans and programs.
Partners also collaborate and communicate on a regular basis in order to ensure that their activities are
compatible and efficiently conducted. Special task forces may be established to carry out joint activities
and projects.
Co-management also means that the wider circle of partners is fully engaged in a range of ways. These
include:

 Consultations with statutory stakeholders while drafting the management plan.

 Participation of affected groups in related programmes and activities
 Inclusion of stakeholder representatives on the Management Committee (MS).
 Stakeholder participation in MS technical working groups.
 Transparency over decisions and actions of the Management Committee and its members.
 Communication and engagement of stakeholders with management team.
 A general open and inclusive approach to working with and engaging local stakeholders.
 Active efforts to avoid and resolve conflicts resulting from implementation of the management
plan.
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Steps taken to foster integrated transboundary management

Lake Ohrid is shared between two countries with different management systems, and so management
planning processes should be done in coordination between the two countries. It is vital that
representatives from around the lake get together to pursue their work in establishing a viable
cooperation platform.

A series of transboundary platform meetings were designed to facilitate bi-lateral cooperation between
representatives of both Albanian and Macedonian local and central administrations, the tourism sector,
and those in charge of urban and rural development, culture, nature protection, resource management
and the environment. The initiative aims to support the Albanian and Macedonian governments in their
efforts to provide management efficiency strategies for the potential transboundary extension of the
mixed World Heritage property.

A core team has been assembled to tackle issues of waste management, unplanned urban development,
habitat alteration and the destruction and depletion of natural resources. The opportunities in existing
transboundary processes for monitoring of the environment and biodiversity that contribute to the
safeguarding of the Lake Ohrid region have also been discussed. Representatives have agreed on the
steps to ensure greater synergies and complementarity between the management plans for the existing
World Heritage property and the plans for the proposed extension, and to promote, where appropriate,
shared responsibility for the implementation and evaluation processes. Overall, the meetings have
strengthened integrated approaches to natural and cultural heritage management and advanced
information sharing among responsible entities, ensuring that environmental and sustainability concerns
are included in decision making processes.

The draft World Heritage Supplement to the Management Plan for Pogradec Protected Landscape can
be downloaded from the following link: http://www.mjedisi.gov.al/

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LAKE OHRID REGION (map)

Visit Lake Ohrid

Main points of interest and activities

1. Pogradec
2. Old Castle Grounds
3. Lin Peninsula
4. Drilon Springs
5. Tushemisht
6. Ohrid
7. St. Naum Monastery and the Springs of the Black Drin River
8. Galičica National Park
9. Struga
10. Bay of Bones and Museum on Water
11. Guri I Kamjes
12. Elshani, Vevchani, and Velestevo villages