The World Bank has estimated that Albania should invest over $ 98 million as part of emergency preparedness and response (EP&R) in the event of a disaster threat.
A diagnostic report “Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment” details three investment scenarios and key aspects where attention should be focused, stating that this agenda should be supported by other international institutions.
The investment plan includes three investment scenarios for a total amount of US $ 98,422,500, consisting of a short-term period ie investments made during the first year (US $ 10,622,000), medium-term investments made over a period of one to three years ( (US $ 54,810,500), and long-term investments made over three years (US $ 32,990,000).
To ensure that technical assistance will be available for the proposed investments, Albania’s RP & R agenda must be supported by other development partners besides the World Bank, ”the report states.
Evaluation of the WB report
In 2020, the World Bank committed Prepared International (PPI) to support the Disaster Risk Management Program in the Western Balkans by providing an assessment of the current national and regional emergency preparedness and response capacity.
“PPI undertook specific capacity assessments in five Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Northern Macedonia) using the Ready2Respond diagnostic methodology (R2R – Ready to respond. Based on these findings, PPI identified Priority investments in emergency preparedness and response at local and regional level This report includes an assessment of Albania’s EP&R (emergency preparedness and response) capacities and related priority investments.
Diagnosis is designed to be an objective, data-driven basis for engaging country counterparts in EP&R development projects. The methodology is based on five essential components – legal and institutional frameworks, information, facilities, equipment and personnel – which are further divided into 18 criteria, 72 indicators and 360 attributes. “Albania has an overall score of 156 out of 360. The country’s results vary between criteria and indicators where the lowest scores were recorded for information management systems and geomatics, and the highest scores for financial readiness and emergency social services.” in the report.
The same underlines that the diagnosis concludes that the EP&R system in Albania is well regulated in what is known as the daily response but still there are clear needs that need to be further developed and resolved. The EP&R system lacks the operational basis for effective and coordinated inter-institutional responses to larger-scale disasters. The main challenges facing the system include the full implementation of ongoing legal changes, institution building, the establishment of the necessary emergency plans and a joint national training for emergency centers. The system should seek to move away from an ad hoc approach, and instead work in a systematic, consistent and integrated manner, relying on a long-term strategic vision.
“R2R diagnostics has identified some gaps in structures, framework and capacities. PPI recommends that before the system further specializes in addressing specific risks, investment should focus on those core EP&R components so that the country can respond to its key risks: earthquakes, floods, forest fires and landslides. land. At the same time, the risk environment also includes new challenges such as climate change, migration, pandemics, and tourism growth. The system needs to be aware of these challenges, and can do its part by further developing some elements. These changes will help Albania be prepared to face existing and new challenges in a professional and coherent way, while allowing the EP&R system to grow in a resilient and sustainable way. Some good practices have been identified in the country. “The challenge now is to create a unified framework and implement the lessons learned to support both individual efforts and the mutual strengthening of various initiatives,” the report said.
