Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region

• Management and planning
• Economic and demographic developments
• Buildings and development
• Ground transport infrastructure
• Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure
• Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation

Total amount granted: USD 20 000 (UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, Venice)

On 3 December 2015, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/99/documents, as well as additional documentation on 28 February 2016 following a request of the World Heritage Centre dated 28 January 2016. Progress in addressing a number of requests made by the Committee at its 38th session (Doha, 2014) is presented as follows:

• The design for the “Instauration of St. Clement’s University at Plaoshnik” was revised taking into account recommendations of the 2013 UNESCO/ICOMOS Advisory mission, with regards to the size, elevation, scale and scope of planned constructions;
• The draft Management Plan for the property was finalized with support of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, Venice, and is currently in consultation process by relevant authorities;
• The preparation of a detailed urban plan for the entire monumental ensemble in Ohrid was abandoned in favour of 19 urban plans, one for each of the complexes, which are expected by September 2017;
• The establishment of a Commission with an advisory and coordinating role for natural and cultural heritage to control development pressures and interventions at the property is pending the adoption of the Management Plan;
• A Comprehensive Action Plan for the lakeshore is planned in the future;
• The coastal development plans at Ljubanishte 1 and 2 by the investor “Sahara India, Pariwar” were cancelled;
• The 2015 Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for amendments to the Management Plan of the Galičica National Park submitted by the State Party provides information on the potential significant negative impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property from the proposed change of zoning of the Galičica National Park, aimed at accommodating the proposed Galičica Ski Centre and Resort and the planned construction of the Express Road A3 (Ohrid-Peshtani);
• Lin (Albania)-Struga-Kicevo section of the Railway Corridor VIII: an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), prepared in June 2010, provides information on a number of potential negative environmental impacts. The EIA of the Highway A2 (Trebenishte-Struga) project notes negative impacts on the environment, cultural heritage and landscape and proposes mitigation measures to minimize impact. The Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) notes no significant impact of the highway on the OUV of the property;
• Port construction in the town of Ohrid: a feasibility study and public consultation were undertaken;
• The State Party continues to cooperate in the framework of the Upstream Process towards the extension of the property to the Albanian side of the lake.

The State Party has taken significant measures to respond to the recommendations of the 2013 Advisory mission and the requests by the Committee, in particular by reviewing the project St. Clements University at Plaoshnik and progressing in finalizing the Management Plan for the property. The decision to cancel the coastal developments at Ljubanishte by the investor is also noted.

However, large-scale projects continue to be proposed within the property. The SEA of the Draft Amendments to the Management Plan for Galičica National Park (2011-2020) notes that changes to the park’s zoning were proposed by the Government to accommodate development projects, including the Galičica Ski Centre, associated ski lift base and the Gradiste Lakeside Village, which would conflict with the World Heritage status of the property. The SEA also notes cumulative impacts of the combination of the Ski Centre and the A3 road, which would lead to increased human activity and additional pressures on the property. It is recommended that the Committee urge the State Party not to approve the proposed amendments and to consider alternative locations for ski developments outside of the boundaries of the property and the Galičica National Park.

The EIA of the Pan European Railway Corridor VIII notes that incidents of substance run-offs during construction and operation phases would result in pollution of Lake Ohrid. This raises particular concern since part of the railway is planned very close to the lake shore in one of the last well preserved stretches. Given the high sensitivity of its aquatic ecosystems and the lake shore’s visual integrity of this stretch, alternatives with minimal potential impact on the lake and its shoreline should be preferred and all necessary impact mitigation measures should be adopted during the construction and operation phases.

The EIA and HIA of Highway A2 (Trebenishte-Struga) have been developed for only a 8km-long stretch, which is only a portion of a much wider planned transportation infrastructure upgrading. Therefore they do not provide a comprehensive assessment of the entire stretch of infrastructure which should also consider potential cross-border impacts on the Albanian side of the lake and the possible alternatives for its location.

The conclusions of the above mentioned SEA, and concerns for the A2 Highway and the Railway Corridor VIII indicate that these projects represent a potential danger to the property, in line with paragraphs 179 and 180 of the Operational Guidelines and would represent a case for inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

A comprehensive action plan for the lakeshore and a SEA and HIA for all the above-mentioned infrastructure projects should be developed as a matter of urgency, in order to assess their potential cumulative impacts on the OUV of the property and to consider possible alternative routes and locations for these major projects to ensure they do not impact adversely on OUV.

It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property to assess its state of conservation and to provide technical advice on the development of a SEA and HIA for all proposed infrastructure projects.

It is further recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to finalize the Management Plan and to establish, as a matter of urgency, the envisaged Commission which would provide a management structure to coordinate actions at different levels. It is also recommended that the Committee reiterate its request for the Integrated Protection Plan for the Old Town Nucleus of Ohrid for which no information was provided by the State Party.

Finally, the continued cooperation of the State Party in the framework of the World Heritage Upstream Process aimed at a possible transboundary extension of the property to the Albanian part of Lake Ohrid should be commended, as effective transboundary management will ensure the long-term conservation and protection of the property and enhance its integrity.