PREPARED BY: GREGOR JÄNIN, MIRSA TITKA, DUKATE DODAJ, FATJONA XHAFERI ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL AUTONOMY (ALAA) ADELINA FARRICI, ALISA LIMAJ JUNE 2020 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The team would like to thank all representatives from municipalities and all other different institutions who contributed through a dynamic participative process and information sharing. Special thanks to the key partner “Bashki të Forta” a project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), implemented by Helvetas. DISCLAIMER This publication was produced with the financial support of the SDC/Helvetas/BtF. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and don’t necessarily reflect the views of the donor. ALBANIA ABBREVIATIONS ASLSG Agency for Support for Local Self-Government ALAA Association of Local Autonomy AAM Association of Albanian Municipalities AP Action Plan AU Administrative Unit BtF Bashki të Forta (a SDC funded project implemented by Helvetas) CG Central Governance CP Civil Protection CPC Civil Protection Commission CS Community Structure CGs Community Groups CoM Council of Ministers CSO/NGO Civil Society Organizations DCM Decision of Council of Ministers DRR Disaster Risk Reduction GLP General Local Plan LG Local Governance LGU Local Government Unit LPES Local Plan for Emergency Situation MoI Ministry of Interior MC Municipal Council NCPA National Civil Protection Agency NCCSDLG National Crosscutting Strategy for Decentralization and Local Governance 2015-2020 TAR Territorial Administrative Reform WG Working Group 3 4 TABLE OF CONTENT I.Introduction 7 II. Methodology 8 III. Main Findings of the Assessment 9 IV. Natural Disasters in Albania 13 V. Legal and Policy Framework 16 VI.The role of Institutions in Emergencies 20 VII. Synthesis Assessment by Sections 25 7.1. Risk Assessment and Services 25 7.2. Structures for Civil Protection at local level 39 7.3. Good governance for civil protection 40 7.4. Financing of civil protection function at local level 42 7.5. Human Resources for civil protection 46 VIII. Recommendations by different stakeholders 48 Annexes Annex 1: Tables of Data Annex 2: Officials and other actors met or contacted (focus group discussions and field visits) Annex 3: Questionnaire (online survey) 5 6 I. Introduction The legal framework for “Local Self-Govern- The Association for Local Autonomy (ALAA) with ment” no. 139/2015 and the Law No. 45/2019 contribution of Association of Albanian Mu- “On Civil Protection” sets out requirements and nicipalities (AAM), and with the support of the obligations for central institutions and munic- Strong Municipalities (BtF), a project funded by ipalities regarding risk identification, planning the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooper- of mitigated measures and preventive invest- ation (SDC) and implemented by Helvetas, has ments, as well as drafting and updating the plan conducted a study survey on existing LGUs’ insti- of civil emergencies at the local and national lev- tutional capacity, their readiness to implement el. Also, municipalities are required by the law1 effectively their own function on civil protection to increase awareness of the local citizens and and the new law on civil protection (45/2019). provide public information in the situation of a The study survey has been implemented during natural disaster or other emergency situation. the time period, February – June 2020. The experiences of the last decades in manag- The study synthesis report provides details re- ing civil emergency situations and the economic garding the level of preparation of municipal- and social impact due to losses and damages of ities for risks identification as required by the public and private properties, as a result of nat- law2, structures set up in LGUs for the function ural disasters mostly to earthquakes, fires and of civil protection, sources of funding, preven- floods, have identified shortcomings in the sys- tive investments (if any), and human resources tem of civil protection, lack of sufficient human, and other technical means, challenges ahead to professional and technical capacities to prevent municipalities and other issues, such as coordi- situations and minimize damage in case of di- nation among municipalities and prefect in case sasters. of emergency situation and needs identification. 1 Law 119/2014 “On the Right to Information” 2 Law no.45/2019 “On Civil Protection” 7 II. Methodology The study was based on a mail questionnaire The questionnaire has combined quantitative (online) to all municipalities and one question- and qualitative data and it was divided into 6 naire for focus group discussion. The question- sections. As provided in annex 1, the question- naires were prepared by the project’s experts naire was divided in some judgement criteri- including an international expert in the emer- on (sections): Introduction Section, Section A gency field. The online questionnaire was sent asked for general data, Section B asked ques- to all municipalities in April 2020. In addition to tions concerning disaster risk identification, the online questionnaire, interviews at the in- local risk assessment and disaster risk reduc- dividual level and discussions in focus groups tion strategy at local level and civil emergency with Mayors, Deputy Mayors and specialists of plans at local level. The scope of this section civil protection structures in the municipality, was in learning if municipalities are familiar were organized and lead by the ALAA in the pe- with the risk identification and how to develop riod April-May 2020. In the five group meetings, a risk identification strategy at local level and representatives of the Association of Albanian planning of risk mitigation measures. Section Municipalities and coordinators of BtF project C was focused on the structure set up within and other project stakeholders were invited to the municipality, if the Civil Protection Com- participate to. In total are performed: mission is established and other issues on coordination of actions among municipalities ● Three regional visits in March 2020 in and central institutions at local level. Section the Municipality of Cerrik, Municipality D on good governance inquired about the role of Berat and Municipality of Devoll3 and tasks of Municipal Council in emergency ● Four focus group discussions with par- situations. Section E inquired about financial ticipation of 16 municipalities. sources that are available to the LG’s function ● One focus group discussion with the on civil protection and preventive investment prefects. carried out by municipalities and other related ● Ten (10) Person to person interviews issues. Section F inquired about previous ex- with municipality’s mayors and other periences faced by the municipality in emer- senior public officials. gency situations and their nature (category of natural disaster) and database on local dam- ● Questionnaire on-line sent to 61 mu- ages. Section G focused on human resources nicipalities; the response rate has been and identification of main training needs. about 87%. 3 1st Regional meeting arranged in the Municipality of Cerrik with participation of the Municipality of Cerrik, Tirane, Kamez, Vore, Kavaje, Rrogozhine, Durres, Shijak, Kruje Elbasan, Belshi, Peqin and Lezhe. 2nd regional meeting in the municipality of Berat with participation of Municipalities of Ura Vajgurore, Kucove, Skrapar, Polican ,Gjirokater, Libohove, Tepelene, Memaliaj and Dropull; 3rd meeting took place in Municipality of Devoll with participation of the municipalities of Devoll, Korce, Maliq, Pustec, Kolonje, Pogradec, Gramsh, Perrenjas, Librazhd, Permet and Kelcyra. 8 III. Main findings of the Assessment About 53% of municipalities have start- ment of the legal framework, clear assignment ed the process of data collection and of the competences, tasks and relations of identifying risks throughout their terri- central and local government institutions for tory, and 62% of municipalities have a level of the prevention of natural disasters and man- knowhow about the risk assessment method- aging of emergency situations are some crit- ology. Based on the new law “On Civil Protec- ical issues highlighted during the interviews tion” no. 45/2019, risk assessment should be with local government representatives. performed at the central level, at the county The most important factors that would enable level and at the municipal level, and updated the effective implementation of the Law on every three years’ time. The process of design- Civil Protection is carrying out preventive in- ing a risk assessment enables both public au- vestment (39%), financial resources allocated thorities and businesses, NGOs, and the gen- to civil Protection function (35%), drafting of eral public to reach a common understanding full legal framework for civil protection (adop- of the risks faced as a community and help tion of bylaws –35%), setting up the effective fostering an inclusive debate about the rela- and qualified structures (31%). tive priority of possible prevention and mitiga- tion measures4. Local emergency plan determine mea- sures and activities to prevent and cope with Municipalities are facing problems and chal- disasters based on risk identification and cat- lenges for identifying risks and drafting local egorization, territorial coverage (all AUs), allo- emergency plan. The main challenging factors cation of the resources and funds, and other assessed by the respondents have been the elements. Also, the local emergency plan takes lack of the methodology on