Promoting nature, culture and World Heritage in the Lake Ohrid region

The training course “Promoting nature, culture and World Heritage in the Lake Ohrid region” in the framework of the project “Towards strengthened governance of the shared transboundary natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid region” will take place in Pogradec and Tushemisht, Albania, on 10 and 11 May 2016.

The training course aims to provide participants with the necessary tools and approaches available for the promotion and interpretation of assets of collective importance to humankind, whilst increasing appreciation of shared heritage values among existing and new audiences in a way that enhances the achievement of the shared management objectives for the heritage place. The training will also contribute indirectly to progress in the management planning process in view of the proposed Albanian extension to the World Heritage property “Natural and cultural heritage of the Ohrid region” (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) with ideas that will address the need to build unique narratives around a common identity for this potential mixed (nature/culture) transboundary World Heritage property. In accordance with the 2011 World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy, the training strives to achieve broader capacity building of heritage practitioners, institutions, organizations, communities and networks for heritage management and conservation in the Lake Ohrid region through people-centred changes.

The training will offer conceptual background, case studies and group exercises dedicated to the entire Lake Ohrid region and participants will be able to gain good understanding of the role of cultural and natural heritage in sustainable development, sustainable tourism, audience development, data gathering and strategic planning. It will have a focus on the particular demands of a mixed (natural and cultural) transboundary site.

This training course takes place as part of the project “Towards strengthened governance of the shared transboundary natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid region”, funded by European Union and the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Albania). More information about the Lake Ohrid region project can be found at: whc.unesco.org/en/lake-ohrid-region/