Society of Wetland Scientists Declaration: protection of the Lake Ohrid ecosystem

Summary

In May of 2018, 45 participants of the Society of Wetland Scientists Europe wetland conference, from over 18 countries, gathered in Ohrid, Macedonia and signed the Declaration on the Protection of the Lake Ohrid Ecosystem. These participants represented a wide range of expertise in wetland science, green technology, policy and management. Lake Ohrid, the oldest lake in Europe at around three million years old, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and holds valuable information on evolutionary history and rare species, but is increasingly threatened by infrastructure projects and urban development. Two-thirds of the lake lies in North Macedonia and is already inscribed on the World Heritage List as the property “Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region;” the final third of Lake Ohrid is located in Albania. A central concern of the declaration is the deteriorating condition of Studenchishte Marsh, the last intact marsh along the lake’s shore. The remaining wetland is just a fraction of the original system that existed 50 years ago, having been damaged by building development, agriculture, waste dumping, a plant nursery, and road construction, which has compromised the ecological connection between the marsh and the lake. The marsh is a critical part of the ecosystem due to its high species diversity, presence of rare plant communities like Caricetum elatae, and rare peat layers which are several meters thick and have developed over at least 4,000 years. Studenchishte Marsh is attributed to being the last fully functioning marsh ecosystem on Lake Ohrid.

Despite Lake Ohrid’s protected status under UNESCO, the declaration states this has not been enough to stop pollution in the Lake’s larger ecosystem, or to protect Studenchishte Marsh. The declaration calls for various actions to be taken including: (1) Macedonian authorities to enhance protection of the lake; (2) the designation of the lake as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance; (3) the creation of an action plan to protect and revitalize Studenchishte Marsh, including replacing the current hard boundary with the lake with a wooden walkway to allow water flow and ecological exchange, halting dumping, and stopping the encroachment of agriculture; (4) the revision of water management practices in surrounding cities and villages to stop polluted water discharge, and proposes using wetland restoration and constructed wetlands as long-term solutions; and (5) encouraging the City of Ohrid to develop nature-based tourism.

Involved Organizations