WORLD HERITAGE ON THE EDGE A Report on the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region April 2017 World Heritage on the Edge—A Report on the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region was compiled by Ohrid SOS, a citizens’ initiative comprised of scientists, NGO members, activists and concerned members of the public. It follows two years’ research, activism and dedication to the preservation of irreplaceable natural phenomena at UNESCO Ohrid-Prespa in the Republic of Macedonia and was created to serve as source material for the Joint World Heritage Centre, IUCN and ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring Mission to the region that was conducted in April 2017. Foreseen in procedures for the inclusion of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger and their possible eventual removal from the UNESCO World Heritage List, Reactive Monitoring is a special report to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee that is undertaken when the Outstanding Universal Value of specific World Heritage properties to all humankind is considered to be under threat. Evidence submitted within this document demonstrates such threat to be dangerously active in the UNESCO Ohrid region. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 1 SECTION 1: BIOLOGICAL INTENSITY ................................................................................................ 2 SECTION 2: THREATS & DANGERS—SELECTED PROJECTS .............................................................. 4 Chapter 1: Studenchishte Marsh ................................................................................................ 4 Chapter 2: Marina ..................................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 3: Galichica Ski-Resort ................................................................................................. 13 Chapter 4: A3 Expressway and Tourism Development Zones .................................................. 20 Chapter 5: Failures—the Citrus Partners’ SEA .......................................................................... 24 SECTION 3: LEGAL & INSTITUTIONAL CRISIS ................................................................................. 28 Chapter 1: Law .......................................................................................................................... 28 Chapter 2: Institutional Breakdown .......................................................................................... 31 SECTION 4: TIMELINE—A JOURNEY TO THE EDGE ....................................................................... 35 SECTION 5: THE TWILIGHT ZONE—CORRUPTION & BAD INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE ................. 38 Chapter 1: Corruption & Conflict of Interest ............................................................................ 38 Chapter 2: Wiretapped Conversations ...................................................................................... 40 Chapter 3: Lagadin .................................................................................................................... 46 Chapter 4: New Plans for the City of Ohrid ............................................................................... 52 SECTION 6: THE CIVIL SECTOR SHUTOUT ...................................................................................... 53 Chapter 1: Obstruction of NGOs & the Civil Sector .................................................................. 53 Chapter 2: The Information War ............................................................................................... 57 Chapter 3: Public Figures ........................................................................................................... 61 Chapter 4: Public Consultations ................................................................................................ 62 Chapter 5: Missing Comments to the SEA for NP Galichica ...................................................... 66 SECTION 7: CONSEQUENCES ......................................................................................................... 68 Chapter 1: Wastewater ............................................................................................................. 68 Chapter 2: Garbage ................................................................................................................... 70 Chapter 3: Tourism .................................................................................................................... 72 Chapter 4: Eutrophication ......................................................................................................... 73 Chapter 5: National Park Use & Abuse ..................................................................................... 75 Chapter 6: Hydrobiological Institute & the Oil-Like Substance ................................................ 77 Chapter 7: Water Levels ............................................................................................................ 78 Chapter 8: Fish........................................................................................................................... 79 Chapter 9: Other Species .......................................................................................................... 84 SECTION 8: CONCLUSIONS & SUGGESTIONS ................................................................................ 86 ANNEXES 1 & 2: EXPERT OPINION & OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED OHRID-PRESPA MEGA- PROJECTS ...................................................................................................................................... 87 INTRODUCTION One of the earliest sites to achieve world heritage status, the superlative natural phenomena and exceptional natural beauty of Lake Ohrid have been celebrated by UNESCO since 1979, contributing to global recognition for the ancient lake’s remarkable ecosystems, evolutionary processes, and outstanding scenery. Triggering additional criteria for its human legacy, the site has become one of the handful of mixed cultural and natural world heritage properties so far in existence. Establishment in 2014 of the Ohrid-Prespa Watershed Transboundary Biosphere Reserve under the Man and Biosphere (MAB) programme further emphasized the vital importance of regional habitats and the need for sustainable human development within them. Yet multiple projects for tourism development proposed for the Republic of Macedonia both threaten irreversible decline of these habitats and augur loss of ecosystem services that have secured human communities within Ohrid-Prespa for thousands of years. These include but are not limited to wetlands drainage; a large-scale marina; express road construction and associated urbanization; multiple tourism development zones; and a ski-resort. With reference to numerous reports, journal papers, expert statements, monitoring and other sources, the following document will take selected projects and explain how they both lack sustainability and constitute a direct threat to the world heritage status of the Ohrid region. It will further demonstrate how pressure upon NGOs, experts, and institutions undermines their ability to provide meaningful oversight of project implementation; outline how current practice falls far short of the level required to ensure successful long-term management of the property; and describe how the present-day Republic of Macedonia possesses neither the will at decision-making level nor the legal, practical and administrative infrastructure to secure the Ohrid-Prespa watershed against extreme environmental degradation if large- scale infrastructural and tourism developments go forward. The conclusion can only be that current development plans and actions in the Lake Ohrid region fundamentally contradict the biosphere reserve concept and constitute multiple active threats to the world heritage property. 1 SECTION 1: BIOLOGICAL INTENSITY Often overlooked as a center of species richness, the Republic of Macedonia is in fact one of the most biodiverse territories in Europe. Situated in the Balkan Peninsula at the intersection of three continents, the country’s complex geological and natural history has contributed to the establishment of highly varied habitats, which have not only been furnished by the gradual movements of flora and fauna through time, but also provided the conditions of life in which numerous globally unique species have evolved. Among this intricate pastiche, the habitats of Ohrid-Prespa are undoubtedly the most precious. Two rare ancient lakes, Prespa and Ohrid, lie either side of a karstic massif, Mount Galichica, through which the former supplies the latter with chemically specific water via underground channels. Combined with a micro-climate and extreme longevity—Lake Ohrid is among the oldest inland waters on the planet— conditions have served to create ecosystems of global significance: regional wetlands are refugia for rare plants; glacial relicts inhabit high mountain zones; underwater springs supply Galapagos-like evolutionary processes; and flora and fauna endemic to this region alone abound both within the two lakes and on the mountainside. Recognition of Ohrid-Prespa’s natural wonders takes many forms and the UNESCO Transboundary Biosphere Reserve is just one of many garlands. Mount Galichica is a national park, Emerald Site, Important Plant Area, Prime Butterfly Area, and has additionally been proposed