Disaster risk preparedness, management discussed in Berat

TIRANA, Nov. 24 – The World Heritage Committee has adopted in 2007 a Strategy for Reducing Risks from Disasters at World Heritage Properties which encourages all States Parties to develop disaster risk management plans for the World Heritage properties in their respective countries. Yet, disaster risk management is still at a preliminary stage among heritage professionals. In coherence with this and under the framework of the One UN in Albania, the UNESCO Venice Office and ICCROM conducted a training workshop on Disaster Risk Preparedness and Management at the World Heritage site of Berat in Albania from 19 to 24 November 2011. The workshop brought together heritage professionals from selected major heritage sites of Albania (Gjirokastra, Berat, Saranda-Butrint and Apollonia archaeological park) to introduce the disaster risk issue within the developing process of World Heritage site disaster risk management plans.
Special focus was devoted to risk preparedness for earthquakes and fires, through the participation of highly qualified international experts on such fields of expertise. The objectives were to raise the awareness among professionals and responsible agencies for the need to develop appropriate disaster risk management plans; to raise capacity in developing appropriate regimes of risk management in major cultural sites of Albania; and, to lay the ground for the development of a disaster risk management plan in the selected cultural sites, acting as a model for other sites both in Albania and in the whole Region.