TIRANA, April 19 – Due to their geographical location or materials, structure and condition of the buildings, Albania’s three World Heritage sites of Berat, Gjirokastra and Butrint are exposed to various natural hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, fires and flooding, UNESCO says in a report.
Several factors that further increase the vulnerability of exposed populations and cultural heritage at these sites include limited awareness, public knowledge and training for disaster preparedness, inadequate infrastructure to address these hazards as well as the necessary resources to maintain them, unsafe buildings and exploitation of natural resources, says the report.
The UNESCO Venice Office recommends identifying, assessing and monitoring disaster risks for each of the sites periodically and prioritizing risk mitigation and improving risk communication through early warning systems on floods, adverse weather and fire.
The report provides the seismological-geohazard risk analysis and disaster risk reduction guidelines for the Apollonia archaeological park and the historic centres of Berat, Gjirokastra and Butrint.
Urban expansion and tourism development pose a specific threat to the cultural heritage of Albania including historic towns such as Berat. The local developments are the most serious threats even though some of the projects are state-led and internationally sponsored, UNESCO says.
