Protecting Lake Ohrid, Albania and Macedonia

By Stephanie Gentle Successful management of the Lake Ohrid region depends heavily on collaboration between diverse stakeholders and a harmonious balance of nature, culture, landscape and development. During the training on Collaborative Integrated Management of Protected and Heritage Landscapes held in April in Lin Peninsula, Albania, the stakeholders learned how to develop an integrated and cooperative approach to managing complex landscapes. Group of experts in Lin Pogradec  “The first success is that we now think of the lake as one whole, together with our Macedonian partners. We are now aware that we have to cooperate with our partners and protect the lake from damages that have been made until now”, said Mr. Mihallaq Qirjo, Director of the Regional Agency for Protected Areas (RAPA) for Korca region, speaking about the positive impacts the project has achieved thus far. The training brought together more than 20 representatives from Albania and the former Yugoslav Republi

18 April is World Heritage Day. This is a special day to raise public's awareness about the importance and values of Cultural and Natural Heritages and the efforts required to protect and conserve it. Lake Ohrid region is one of the few mixed Cultural and natural properties included in World Heritage List, protected by UNESCO since 1978. Now Albania is preparing the file to inscribe the 1/3 of the Lake Ohrid into this World Heritage property. A lot of work need to be done by local government and community itself to protect this area. The project Towards Strengthened Governance of the Shared Transboundary Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Lake Ohrid region, is contributing in this direction, to raise awareness of Albanian Government and community to protect Lake Ohrid Region. In the framework of this project a photo competition on Lake Ohrid run by UNESCO and its local partners during April aiming to promote the values of this region. More than 450 photos were submitted

The first Newsletter "Protecting Lake Ohrid" on behalf of the Project:"Towards strengthened governance of the shared transboundary natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid region", was published and is available in three languages: Albanian, English and Macedonian in the following website: http://whc.unesco.org/en/lake-ohrid-region/ In the first edition Spring 2016 just published, everybody can be informed about activities of this 3 year project, financed by European Union and Albanian Ministry of Environment and implemented by UNESCO. In this issue you can read an address by Mr Lefter Koka, Minister of Environment of Republic of Albania; - interview with Mr Eduard Kapri, Mayor of Pogradec, Albania; - information on project progress, the next steps & important upcoming dates; - and several thematic articles, regarding tourism in Ohrid City and Pogradec In the next edition which will be published in Summer 2016, you can read articles about tourism in S