Oliver AvramoskiOliver Avramoski

Lake Ohrid Conservation ProjectLake Ohrid Conservation Project

MANAGEMENT OF NON-POINT SOURCES OF MANAGEMENT OF NON-POINT SOURCES OF POLLUTION IN THE REGION OF OHRID AND POLLUTION IN THE REGION OF OHRID AND THE PRESPA LAKESTHE PRESPA LAKES

AN ECOSYSTEM - BASED AN ECOSYSTEM - BASED APPROACHAPPROACH

OVERVIEW OF THE PRESENTATION

The framework for action: timeline of activities and events framing the action

Moving from planning to Moving from planning to implementationimplementation

Introduction to the RegionThe future of the action: recommendations

Macedonia

In 1995 through a financial support of World Bank, the Feasibility Study for the Lake Ohrid Conservation Project was prepared Albania and Macedonia sign the

Memorandum of Understanding for LOCP and establish the Lake Ohrid Management Board

Donators’ conference for protection of Lake Ohrid is held in Ohrid; more than 45 million DEM donated for drinking water and wastewater projects in Albania and Macedonia

In 1998 Albania and Macedonia sign the grant agreement for LOCP; the project officially launched in December 1998 in Albania and in March 1999, in Macedonia

In 2000: Feasibility Study for Environmental Protection of Lake Prespa prepared by the German consultant MVV and financial support of KfW, Germany

THE FRAMEWORK FOR ACTIONTHE FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION

REDUCTION OF THE PHOSPHORUS LOAD IS REDUCTION OF THE PHOSPHORUS LOAD IS THE PRIORITY ACTIIONTHE PRIORITY ACTIION

Eeutrophication is one of the main risks for Lake Ohrid. Among the nutrients, phosphorus is the limiting factor for algae growth and thus for the eutrophication. The loading of dissolved phosphorous in 1995 was estimated to be 150 tons per year, and this would need to be reduced to 50 tons per year to keep the mean concentration of phosphorous below 7mg m-3.

Watershed management committees were established in Albania and Macedonia to develop an action plant for the whole watershed.

Through a competitive grant program a series of demonstration projects were selected.

  Inexistent or inappropriate water management;

  Large-scale forest destruction and erosion;

  Overgrazing;

 Over-exploitation of medicinal plants, fishes and other natural resources;

  Ecologically unsound irrigation practices;

   Water and soil contamination from uncontrolled use of pesticides, raw sewage

  Deposits and lake siltation;

  Uncontrolled urban and other forms of development;

   Pressure from increasing and uncontrolled tourism development.

Transboundary Prespa Park

Lake Ohrid Conservation Project: ALB-MKD (NOT GR!); GEF founded

Transboundary Prespa Park: ALB-MKD-GR; GTZ supported

Local Environmental Action Plans : ALB-MKD; financed & coordinated by ISC, US

Non-point sources of pollution: reconcile different visions

Non-point sources of pollution: emerging issues

Linking biodiversity, landscape conservation Linking biodiversity, landscape conservation and agricultural practicesand agricultural practices

Linking biodiversity, landscape conservation Linking biodiversity, landscape conservation and control of the erosionand control of the erosion

Non-point sources of pollution: emerging issues

Non-point sources of pollution: emerging issues