In the aftermath of the November 2019 earthquake and in line with the PDNA recommendations, in early 2020, UNDP Albania started engaging with the DRR sector with a plan to implement a long-term capacity building programme. Initially, UNDP embarked on two pilot interventions at the central and local level, which were soon integrated under a broader intervention framework- more specifically the Resilience Strengthening in Albania, (RESEAL), project which became operational from 1st July 2020.

The project objective will be attained through a number of interventions: supporting the enhancement of and improvement of institutional coordination and cooperation in the  DRM system by further developing the DRR framework; providing direct support to key DRM institutions with a particular focus on the National Agency for Civil Protection, and delivering capacity building programmes to strengthen preparedness and response capacities of the national, prefecture and municipal bodies.

The project has in parallel, initiated the Capacity Development Process for the Disaster Risk Management System in Albania, which is indispensable for risk-informed development effectiveness and the achievement of nationally and internationally agreed development targets. It also supports the prefecture and municipal levels through institutional building as per the legal requirements and the exercises of local risk assessment, local DRR strategies and Emergency Plans. These two initiatives are currently being piloted by UNDP at central level and in the municipality of Lezha.

One key ingredient of the DRR legal framework and essential element for building-back-better (BBB) during recovery is the update of the Building Codes, which the project will address. 

Considering the importance of regional cooperation in complementing national efforts to reducing risk, during it entire duration, the project will support opportunities for capacity building and regional exchanges, contributing to Albania’s aspiration to meet the criteria for joining the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

The central level pilot, preceding RESEAL, intended to support a national DRR Capacity Assessment, the findings of which facilitated the process of strengthening DRM policy framework and subsequently leading to the drafting of the new National DRR Strategy and its Action Plan. Furthermore, at the institutional level, the project supports the institutional strengthening of and closely interacts with the National Civil Protection Agency (NCPA) to create an enabling framework for DRR and substantiate the Civil Protection & DRR legal framework.

The local level pilot in Lezha  developed the local DRR framework in Lezha municipality. Support was also provided to develop the integrated municipal Risk Assessment, the local DRR Strategy, and the Local Civil Emergency Plan, as well as the roadmap for tackling these processes in any other municipality- all done in a participatory manner. The pilot was developed with the intention to replicate Lezha`s model in other municipalities.

Extensive consultations, field visits, and active participation of interinstitutional technical working group have been pivotal in shaping strategic and planning documents in Fieri Prefecture and its six municipalities. These inclusive efforts ensure community representation, particularly for women and vulnerable groups. The adopted risk assessment documents are essential tools for addressing disaster risks and the impacts of climate change at the local level, serving as a successful blueprint for other Prefectures to follow. 

In line with the SDG goals and associated targets and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNDP supports actionable risk information; strengthens disaster and climate risk governance through policy, legal and institutional arrangements that foster integrated solutions. Based on the Capacity Assessment exercise that is being conducted under the pilot, the capacity gaps related to disaster risk reduction are assessed through stakeholder mapping and systems thinking approach. Results of the DRR capacity assessment will contribute to the development of national components such as the DRR strategy and Action Plan, the National Platform on DRR and the National Civil Emergency Plan.