The training course “Nature Management for the Proposed Extension of the World Heritage Property: Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region” will take place in Tushemisht, Albania, on 6 and 7 December 2016.

The training course aims to build capacities for implementing nature management actions based on cross-sectoral cooperation for the proposed extension to the Albanian part of the Lake Ohrid region of the existing World Heritage property: “Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region” (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).

The training course, coordinated by IUCN with the support of ICOMOS and the World Heritage Centre, will contribute to a shared understanding of the ecosystem of the region; of the threats to the lake ecosystem; and of the actions required to address those threats. The training will offer a conceptual background, case studies and group exercises on nature management.

The health of the lake ecosystem is critical to the region, but can easily be overlooked. This gap is being addressed by bringing together experts and managers to highlight the values of the lake and identify measures and means for effective conservation of the lake ecosystem.


With this in mind, this training course will focus on communicating the science of the Lake Ohrid Ecosystem to non-specialists involved in its management, who will learn why the lake is so important and how scientific information, research and monitoring should be used to inform the planning and management of the lake and its surroundings.

The workshop has been designed for of representatives from organisations involved in planning and day-to-day management of the lake, its resources and the surrounding area;; representatives of organisations involved in research and monitoring of the lake; and scientists and researchers with an interest in Lake Ohrid.

The training course takes place as part of the project “Towards strengthened governance of the shared transboundary natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid region”, funded by the European Union and the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Albania. More information about the Lake Ohrid region project can be found at: whc.unesco.org/en/lake-ohrid-region/