Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region

• Management systems/ management plan
• Buildings and development
• Ground transport infrastructure
• Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure (proposed Galičica Ski Centre)
• Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation

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

On 1 February 2022 and 17 February 2022 respectively, Albania and North Macedonia submitted separate state of conservation progress reports. On 6 February 2023, the States Parties jointly submitted their two state of conservation reports. All three documents are available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/99/documents/. On 3 March 2023 and 31 March 2023, North Macedonia and Albania respectively replied to the World Heritage Centre’s request for additional information. Progress on a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions is presented in these documents, as follows:

Transboundary collaboration

• The reactivation of the Transboundary Watershed Management of the Ohrid Region was agreed and the Transboundary Watershed Management Committee now includes high-level representation in (i.e., Mayors and Ministers);
• The draft Strategic Recovery Plan for the Rehabilitation of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region was prepared;
• The European Commission declared railway Corridor VIII eligible for European funding, with a request for a feasibility study on an alternative route for the Struga–Albanian border section;
• Cross-border cooperation on water quality between the PSI Hydrobiological Institute Ohrid and a twin institution in Albania has not been possible but exchanges between counterparts are continuing.

North Macedonia

• The feasibility study for the Urban Plan for areas and buildings of State importance in the coastal belt of the Ohrid region, prepared in 2021, has been awarded and its completion is expected in 2023;
• Between 2020 and 2021, the removal of 15 buildings and the partial removal of eight buildings is reported. Figures for 2022 are not presented; Galichica National Park has inventoried illegal structures in the Park, with a priority list for removal that has been shared with Ohrid Municipality and the relevant Ministry;
• The Management Plan for Galichica National Park 2021-2030 has been adopted;
• In 2021 and 2022, pending the revision of the existing city Masterplan, the Ohrid Municipality adopted decisions recognising the provisions of the World Heritage Management Plan (2021- 2029) as prevailing over existing spatial plans, except for infrastructure of State and local significance; it also halted the reconstruction and enlargement of Quay Macedonia;
• Studies to define the buffer zone had begun and were expected to be completed in June 2022;
• The 2023 Draft Annual Programme includes the preparation of detailed plans for 19 urban complexes and a report on the valorisation of the cultural heritage of Ohrid Region is being prepared and a draft management plan for Lake Ohrid Monument of Nature has been submitted to the World Heritage Centre together with the state of conservation report on 6 February 2023;
• A Draft Tourism Development Strategy 2020-2025 was prepared and underwent a Strategic Environment Assessment. The Strategy will be submitted to the World Heritage Centre once completed;
• The design and construction of the Trebenishta–Struga–Qafasan A2 highway was awarded, and the company provided with the Committee’s recommendations. For the A2 Kichevo-Ohrid section, under construction, the Commission approved five infrastructure-related projects;
• The 2022 ICOMOS Advisory mission to the property assessed the potential impacts of the proposed refurbishment and extension of the Hotel Palace; in line with the mission’s recommendations, no activity is underway on this site;
• Studenčišča Marsh was granted temporary protection as part of the ongoing proclamation as a Nature Park. The marina proposal at Studenčišča Marsh has been abandoned;
• The re-proclamation of Lake Ohrid as a Monument of Nature was initiated, and a Draft Law was planned to be submitted to Parliament by July 2022;
• The project for the redirection of the Sateska River to its former course continued;
• The water treatment plant in Lozhani was upgraded and reached 90% of its capacity, with improved water collection functionality;
• Measures to stabilise the water level of Lake Ohrid were adopted;
• A study on fisheries and aquaculture was initiated to inform fish stocking in the Lake and was expected to be published shortly;
• Funds were allocated to a regional waste management system, which provides for the closure of the Bukovo landfill;
• Funding for mini water-treatment plants on the Macedonian part of Lake Ohrid was secured;
• The PSI Hydrobiological Institute in Ohrid carried out analyses of the waters from Crn Drim River, resulting in proposals to eliminate/minimise adverse effects of detected pollutants;
• A Special Management Plan to reduce anthropogenic pressures on the Saint Naum springs is currently being prepared.

Albania

• Removal of illegal buildings began and almost all fish farms were removed from the Drilon Springs Area (2021);
• The Drilon-Tushemisht Waterscape Park Project was approved in December 2020. It includes the rehabilitation of Drilon Park, a visitor centre, a water museum on top of a karstic hill, new tourism facilities, residential buildings and parking lots;
• Removal of the Memelishte and Alarup dumpsites began in 2022, but more time will be required for the former due to active mining licences;
• Upon completion of the upgraded Lin-Pogradec Road, the lakeshore was rehabilitated and landscaping completed;
• The inspection of protected monuments continued in 2021 and 2022, and maintenance work at Lin Paleo-Christian Church and the monitoring of natural attributes were carried out;
• As part of the ‘100 Tourist Villages programme’, projects in Lin and Gurras are under preparation to upgrade infrastructure, rehabilitate buildings and demolish illegal buildings, for which exclusion from the legalisation procedure was requested;
• Other major projects include:
  • a tourist complex with wooden cabins in Bucimas, already completed,
  • a water supply and sewerage system in Bucimas and Pogradec, now completed, and further afield in Guras, Geshtenjas, Verdove, Remenj,
  • drinking water supplies in Lin, Memelisht and Udenisht;
• The restoration/requalification of the historic centre of Pogradec includes the revitalisation of public spaces through urban design and lighting;
• Promotional and awareness-raising activities, such as community-based garbage cleaning, activation of the Pogradec-St Naum–Ohrid ferryboat line and bicycle lanes were implemented;
• The Pogradec General Local Plan, which incorporates the Committee’s previous decisions is awaiting approval by the Prime Minister.

On 22 April 2022, the World Heritage Centre transmitted third-party information to the States Parties containing an analysis on the content of the draft Law on the Proclamation of Studenčišča Marsh as a Nature Park and alerting that the draft Law would fail to protect the values and needs of this wetland, which is deteriorating due to agriculture, tourism and incremental construction. On 15 August 2022, the State Party of North Macedonia replied, explaining the procedure for declaring an area a protected area and the future steps and recommendations. Following the adoption of the Law, the Municipality of Ohrid, as the entity responsible of the management of the protected area, would need to develop and adopt a Management Plan including a set of measures and activities to ensure the protection and management of the marsh.

On 20 December 2022, the World Heritage Centre transmitted to the States Parties third-party information expressing deep concern about the rediverting of the River Sateska to its original path, which, although necessary, had allegedly been carried out without a full and high-quality Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). On 3 March 2023, the State Party of North Macedonia responded in relation to this project, which is being implemented through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of the Environment and Physical Planning, that several measures were being implemented and that the project should be completed by the end of March 2023. It added that the EIA had been carried out in accordance with the guidelines and stages laid down by the Ministry of the Environment and Physical Planning.

Both in correspondence dated 20 December 2022 and again in a letter dated 26 January 2023, information from third parties was transmitted to the States Parties on the possible sale of an archaeological site located within the World Heritage property. On 3 March 2023, the State Party of North Macedonia responded that there were no archaeological sites listed on the plots of land proposed for sale. However, noting that several archaeological sites had been discovered in the vicinity of the site in question, the presence of an archaeologist had been requested during the execution of the works to ensure archaeological supervision and to take the necessary measures.

As part of an open file under the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural habitats (Bern Convention) on the ‘alleged negative impacts to Lake Ohrid and Galichica National Park candidate Emerald Sites due to infrastructure development’, including a ski centre and resort, European Corridor VIII railway, A2 Highway, a marina and several touristic development zones, an on-the-spot appraisal mission took place from 25 to 27 April 2023 to Lake Ohrid and Galichica National Park in North Macedonia. The UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the Secretariat of the RAMSAR Convention participated as observers.

The preparation of a draft joint Strategic Recovery Plan through collaboration between both States Parties is to be welcomed.

The Strategic Recovery Plan recognises the extreme vulnerability of the property, the underlying causes of such vulnerability, in particular the inadequacy of regulations, the lack of implementation of existing programmes and projects, as well as the presence of active threats. It sets out strategic objectives and an action plan covering 167 actions that reflect the Committee’s repeated requests and the recommendations of the Reactive Monitoring missions. The Strategic Recovery Plan provides a sound basis for initiating the recovery of the property; however, it needs to be strengthened, in particular to further prioritise actions according to transboundary goals and priorities, clarify mechanisms for implementation and integration into national and local policies and plans, and further specify timelines for completion of actions.

Successful implementation of the Plan will thus require improved transboundary cooperation, the allocation of adequate resources, a clear mandate for the transboundary working group and the national Strategic Recovery Plan task forces with qualified staff and sufficient resources, as well as long-term political and technical commitment at the national and local level, and strengthening collaboration between State and local administrations. Only in this way can the Strategic Recovery Plan become the transboundary and inter-agency basis for specific and proactive measures for the recovery of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and the operational arm of the vision established in each country’s respective Management Plans. As all these conditions have not yet been met, there is an urgent need to further develop the Strategic Recovery Plan and consolidate concerted long-term efforts to implement it. At the same time, and parallel to the efforts to improve the Strategic Recovery Plan, the continuing active and emerging threats need to be addressed immediately, such as the development of inappropriate residential and tourism projects that continue to be proposed and carried out.

In addition to the development of the draft Strategic Recovery Plan, the States Parties’ reports show that some key issues are starting to be addressed, including transboundary cooperation through the resumption of the Transboundary Watershed Management, and the suspension of the Kichevo-Lin section of Rail Corridor VIII, which represented a major threat. It is noted that a feasibility study for a different rail route had been commissioned: once completed, the study should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies.

Despite these positive developments, progress appears to be limited in relation to many of the mission recommendations and Committee’s repeated requests.

A number of developments that are proposed or have been carried out without prior notification to the World Heritage Centre highlight the continuing lack of a shared vision for the future of the property and the ambition for development options and scales that are incompatible with World Heritage status. The proclamation of the Studenčišča Marsh and Lake Ohrid as protected areas has not yet been achieved. Furthermore, the demolition of illegal buildings, the development of urban plans for 19 complexes in Ohrid, and the resolution of several serious issues, namely mining dumpsites along Lake Ohrid in Albania, or the definition of a buffer zone have not progressed significantly; no information is provided on energy infrastructure projects and the free economic zone in North Macedonia.

The State Party of North Macedonia should be invited to suspend the adoption of Local Development Plans and amendments to the Detailed Urban Plans until a Heritage Impact Assessment has been carried out at strategic level to assess the impacts of these plans. The commissioning of the ‘Feasibility Study for an Urban Plan for Areas and Structures of State Significance for the protected coastal zone in the Ohrid Region’, as a prerequisite for urban plans of State significance in North Macedonia, in accordance with the 2020 Law on Urban Planning, is welcome. The preparation of this independent technical document, which is expected to improve the understanding of the integrity and authenticity of the World Heritage property and to help to identify and analyse the attributes which convey its OUV, is financially supported by different UN agencies and programmes, including UNESCO, but should nevertheless be the subject of a Technical Review by the Advisory Bodies.

The conservation plan for the protected sections of the historic centre of Pogradec (buffer zone) is a first step towards improving its condition, but no clear implementation mechanism or dedicated resources are mentioned. The lighting project does not enhance the architectural or urban quality of the historic area and is not encouraged. The approved Pogradec General Local Plan should be sent to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies.

It should also be recalled that the 2020 Reactive Monitoring mission found that the proposed Drilon-Tushemisht Water Park at Drilon Springs was inappropriate as proposed, in terms of construction volumes and potential negative impacts on the springs. The project has subsequently been approved, seemingly with few changes, based on an EIA that failed to take into account the cultural dimensions of the OUV. Implementation of the Drilon-Tushemisht Water Park project must therefore be halted and all documentation of the approved project sent promptly to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies.

Both States Parties should be urged to strengthen their coordination and cooperation to address the serious threats to the property and to ensure the systematic implementation of impact assessments, as requested by the Operational Guidelines and in accordance with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in World Heritage Context, and by exchanging information on plans and projects with potential impacts on the property’s OUV. This is particularly urgent for the revised route of railway Corridor VIII and the re-routing of the Sateska River project. Detailed documentation of approved projects for the A2 Kichevo - Ohrid section of the highway should be shared with the Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre for analysis on whether there may be significant impacts on the OUV of the property.

While it is considered that the Strategic Recovery Plan lays the foundations for counteracting the ascertained and potential threats, as defined in Paragraphs 179 and 180 of the Operational Guidelines, the urgent conservation needs of this property require a broad mobilisation to preserve its OUV and the implementation of emergency measures that bring together all the stakeholders concerned. These measures must be taken immediately, in parallel with the finalisation of the Strategic Recovery Plan, which must be submitted to the World Heritage Centre before it is approved and comes into force. It is therefore recommended to request the States Parties to urgently invite a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property to examine the effective implementation of the emergency measures, the level of mobilisation and coordination of all the stakeholders involved as well as the implementation of the recommendations of the 2020 mission and the repeated requests of the Committee, and to assess the overall state of conservation of the property.