Lake Ohrid Experience and Lessons Learned Brief Oliver Avramoski, Macedonian Project Implementation Unit, Lake Ohrid Conservation Project, Ohrid, FYR Macedonia Sandri Kycyku, Albanian Project Implementation Unit, Lake Ohrid Conservation Project, Pogradec, Albania Trajce Naumoski, Hydrobiological Institute, Ohrid, FYR Macedonia Dejan Panovski, Macedonian Project Implementation Unit, Lake Ohrid Conservation Project, Ohrid, FYR Macedonia Veli Puka, Hydrometeorological Institute, Tirana, Albania Lirim Selfo, Ministry of Environment, Tirana, Albania Mary Watzin*, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA, [email protected] * Corresponding author 1. Description of Lake Ohrid and Its Watershed domestic tourism destination. In Albania, it is the second most important domestic destination for recreation on lakes. 1.1 Introduction and Background Population growth and development have impacted the lakes Lake Ohrid is an ancient lake, formed by tectonic forces 2-3 in many ways. These include intense fi shing pressures, natural million years ago, in the Tertiary period. Because the lake is habitat destruction in the littoral zone, and the introduction so old and is isolated by surrounding hills and mountains, a of pollutants, especially phosphorus, into lake waters. The unique collection of plants and animals have evolved. These eutrophication that is resulting from this phosphorus threatens include a number of relict species, or “living fossils,” and the character of the lakes, their unique biodiversity, and the many endemic species, found only in Lake Ohrid (Stankovic crystal clear water that is Lake Ohrid’s major tourist attraction. 1960). For example, 10 of the 17 identifi ed fi sh species of the Lake Ohrid are endemic, as are many of the lake’s snails, In 1980, UNESCO declared the Macedonian side of Lake worms, and sponges. The lakeshore reed beds and wetlands Ohrid as a “site of cultural and natural values of the global provide critical habitat for hundreds of thousands of wintering patrimony.” In 1994, the World Bank, in cooperation with the water birds, including rare and threatened species such as Republics of Albania and FYR Macedonia, began preparation the Dalmatian pelican, ferruginous duck, spotted eagle, and for a Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant to fund the imperial eagle. incremental costs of a Lake Ohrid Conservation Project (LOCP). A Feasibility Study for the project was funded by Switzerland People too have made the Lake Ohrid watershed their home and carried out in 1995 (Erst Basler and Partners 1995). for thousands of years. The ancient Illyrians maintained settlements in the Ohrid-Prespa region in the 4th and 5th On 20 November 1996, in Tirana, representatives of the centuries BC and in mediaeval times, the town of Ohrid was the governments of Albania and FYR Macedonia concluded a cultural center of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) concerning the Lake The Cyrillic alphabet was developed here and a thriving Ohrid Conservation Project. The MOU established a joint Lake university, the oldest in Europe, educated over 3,500 students Ohrid Management Board (LOMB) that was “responsible for on the hilltop in Ohrid in the 9th and 10th centuries AD. Today the preparation of the regulations related to its activities” the Ohrid watershed includes three countries—Albania, FYR and authorized to approve projects “based on the previously Macedonia and Greece—and numerous cities, towns and prepared Feasibility Study.” The Parties agreed to “coordinate villages. and adopt laws and regulations necessary for the protection of Lake Ohrid with regard to pollution prevention, water Because of their high biodiversity and unique cultural heritage, use and fi sheries management, etc.;” to follow appropriate Lake Ohrid and the Prespa Lakes (Figure 1) are lakes of international pollution prevention regulations and standards; tremendous local, regional, and international signifi cance. to develop a long-term plan to establish separate monitoring They are also threatened by a variety of forces (Watzin et al. facilities; and to strengthen and develop protection 2002). Since the end of World War II, there has been a rapid institutions. The Parties also agreed carry out the activities increase in the number of people living in the watershed. The needed to implement the LOCP. population of the area now approaches 200,000 permanent residents. These numbers increase in the summer time as tens The LOCP is providing a total of US$1.84 million in funding to of thousands of tourists, both domestic and foreign, come into the Republic of Albania and US$2.26 million to FYR Macedonia. the region. In FYR Macedonia, Lake Ohrid is the number one The objective of the LOCP is to conserve and protect the natural resources and biodiversity of Lake Ohrid by developing and supporting effective cooperation between Albania and FYR 2000). On the Albanian side, river fl ow is substantially less, but Macedonia for the joint environmental management of the the Pogradec and Verdova Rivers are the largest contributors watershed. The project began in late 1998 and early 1999, with (Watzin et al. 2002). The remaining infl ow comes from the an expected duration of three years. Positive mid-term reviews springs that fl ow into the southern part of the lake, at St. later led to an extension to 31 December 2003. An additional Naum, Drilon and Tushemisht. These springs are fed by water extension to 31 December 2004 has been implemented. fl owing out of the porous karst mountains to the east, Galicica and Mali i Thate. Over thousands of years, holes and channels Despite a variety of implementation problems, the LOCP has have formed within the mountain rock. These channels carry been remarkably successful in stimulating and facilitating water that originates in the Prespa watershed to Lake Ohrid. transboundary communication between FYR Macedonia and Because Lake Prespa sits about 150 m above Lake Ohrid, its Albania. New environmental laws and regulations are being waters run “downhill” to Lake Ohrid through the channels in developed and implemented in both nations. Water quality the karst. and biological monitoring programs are also underway in both nations. At the end of 2002, a comprehensive /$.(2+5,'%$6,1 “State of the Environment 1 'UDLQDJH%DVLQ%RXQGDU\ WR/DNH6NKRGUDDQG Report,” the fi rst to combine WKH$GULDWLF6HD ,QWHUQDWLRQDO%RXQGDU\ Macedonian and Albanian 5LYHU /DNH data in a single analysis, was 6HOHFWHG&LW\ released (Watzin et al. 2002). 7KH6DWHVND5LYHUZDVGLYHUWHG Watershed Management LQIURPLWVQDWXUDOFRXUVH GLUHFWO\LQWRWKH%ODFN'ULP5 LQWR/DNH2KULGWRGUDLQWKH NP Committees have been 6DWHVND6ZDPSDQGWRERRVWWKH %RWXQ K\GURHOHFWULFSRWHQWLDORI/DNH2KULG *ORERFLFD formed and have succeeded 5HVHUYRLU in creating comprehensive 6DWHVND5%DVLQ multi-stakeholder forums 6DWHVND5 and in initiating pilot projects %ODFN'ULP5 )<5RI 2ULJLQDOSDWKRI 0$&('21,$ that have helped to develop 6DWHVND5 a Strategic Action Plan for the Lake. Through activities such 6WUXJD RVHOVND5 as Lake Ohrid Day (21 June) . and many events sponsored .DOLVWD 9HOJRVND5 through a growing network of 2KULG environmental NGOs, public 5DGR]GD 5HVHQ awareness is increasing. In its fi nal year, the LOCP is laying /LQ /DNH the groundwork for a new era 2KULG of environmental cooperation &DUHY'YRU *ROHPD5 3RGPRFDQL on Lake Ohrid. 3HVWDQL 1.2 The Watershed 7USHMFD 8GHQLVKW 6WHQMH /DNH .UDQL Lake Ohrid has 87.5 km of 6W1DXP 0DFUR %UDMFLQVND5 shoreline and covers an area 3UHVSD 2 of 358.2 km . Although the 3RJUDGHF 7XVKHPLVKW average depth of the lake is $/%$1,$ 'ROQR 164 m, it has a maximum depth &KHUDYD5 of 289 m. The watershed of $JLRV*HUPDQRV5 $JLRV*HUPDQRV Lake Ohrid includes steep 3VDUDGHV mountains, as well as both /LTHQDV Big and Small Prespa Lakes /DNH 3LOO 0LFUR (Figure 1). The total area of 3UHVSD the watershed is about 3,921 km2. A little less than half of the water in Lake Ohrid comes from its tributaries. On the *5((&( Macedonian side, the Sateska %RXQGDULHVDQGORFDWLRQVDUHDSSUR[LPDWH DQGVKRXOGQRWEHFRQVLGHUHGDXWKRULWDWLYH ,/(&1( and Koselska Rivers are the largest contributors (Naumoski Figure 1. The Lake Ohrid Basin. 322 Lake Ohrid Big and Small Prespa Lakes are fi lled mostly by the rivers Land use data on the Macedonian side are incomplete. fl owing into them. About every 11 years, all the water in Lake According to the Macedonian Institute for Statistics and Prespa is replaced by new water. In contrast, it takes about 70 information provided by the forest enterprises, the land area in years for all the water in Lake Ohrid to be replaced (Watzin et forest, pasture and agricultural uses in the six municipalities in al. 2002). Water fl ows out of Lake Ohrid near Struga, into the the watershed are approximately as follows: Black Drim River. This river eventually runs all the way to Lake Skhodra and the Adriatic Sea. Arable land 53,303 ha Pasture 27,319 ha Forests 61,225 ha 1.3 Socioeconomics of the Basin Water (lakes only) 41,000 ha There are about 106,000 residents in the Macedonian part of the watershed, about 61,000 residents in the Albanian part of In Albania, about 55% of the GDP comes from agriculture. Fruit the watershed, and about 25,600 residents in the Greek part (orchards and vineyards), wheat, corn and vegetables are the of the watershed. This population is 5 or 6 times as large as it primary agricultural products. The pastureland in Albania is was at the end of World War II. Most residents live in several used for a variety of livestock, most importantly, sheep, goats, large towns—Ohrid, Struga, and Resen in FYR Macedonia and and cattle, as well as for harvesting valuable medical plants. Pogradec in Albania—but there are also many small villages There are about 100 species of plants that are gathered for and communities scattered throughout the watershed in all medical uses. three countries. In FYR Macedonia, only about 12% of the GDP comes from According to the World Bank (using IMF estimates), the GDP agriculture.