On March 10, 2.40p.m, the western part of Kosovo was hit by a strong earthquake. It was felt in Prishtina, even though the epicentre of the earthquake was 6 km away from Istog. This earthquake followed the Haiti’s earthquake, the worst one in 200 years.

According to the Seismic Network of Kosovo, within Ministry of Energy and Mines, the magnitude of earthquake was M=5.2 Richter’s scale and there were no human causalities, but a number of buildings were damaged or collapsed. 

Kosovo belongs to the Mediterranean seismic zone – transAsean and in regard of the seismic level is one of the most active zones in Southeastern Europe.

On the territory of Kosovo, there are three powerful seismic zones: 1. Seismic zone Prizren – Pejë/Pec, with maximal magnitude of M 6.6 scales of Richter 2. Seismic Zone Ferizaj/Urosevac, Viti/Vitina, Gjilan/Gnjilane with maximal magnitude of M6.1 and the third is Kopaonik zone of M6.0 scales of Richter.

The strongest earthquake that hit Kosovo, were the ones in 1755 and 1921, with an epicentre in Gjilan/Gnjilane region, including the last on 2002.

One of the activities of Municipal Spatial Support Planning Programme (MuSPP) is to help municipalities address disaster risks through spatial planning. DRAM as a component resulted from the review of existing MDP’s and UDP’s. Proper recognition of the disaster risk helps avoid planning human settlements in areas which are prone to flooding, landslides or which can be threatened by forest fires.  

Seismic cases in Gjilan/Gnjilane: Gjilan/Gnjilane as an active seismic zone

From the visit done in the field, it was visible that most of the buildings in Gjilan/Gnjilane are vulnerable for an earthquake, especially the high-rised buildings which structure is apparently weak in case of an earthquake. In this regard, as the evidence is the effect of the last earthquake in Gjilan/Gnjilane in 2002, with magnitude 5.1 of Richter’ scale, killed 1 person and damaged around 8 thousand of housing, social and school buildings.

Based on this, and considering it as an active seismic zone that can be affected by a possible earthquake, UN-HABITAT engaged Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology in Skopje, Macedonia (ISIIS) and jointly with them and Municipality of Gjilan/Gnjilane inspected the vulnerability of educational facilities in Gjilan/Gnjilane. The inspection was conducted in 11 facilities.  

This was followed by a workshop focused on the safety of public buildings in this city and solutions which could be put in place to reinforce these buildings and make them more resistant to earthquakes. As some of the buildings were built before Seismic Design Code become operational, they are not earthquake resistant. One such a building is the Kinder Garten “Ardhmeria”. The structure of the kindergarten will be reinforced and its functioning will be improved through adding an additive floor. This project will be implemented by the MuSPP programme, funded by SIDA and the total cost will be coo-shared by the MuSPP and Municipality of Gjilan/Gnjilane.   

Project on flood mitigation in Ferizaj/Urosevac

Houses along Nerodime River often have been flooded. Floods affect three urban zones of the area of 69 hectares. The Capital Investment Project (CIP) of Nerodime River aims to improve the area by using design mechanisms to mitigate flooding, ensuring that public space is well linked with surrounding open spaces and safer for citizens.  

The project aims to improve the visual and environmental quality of the area by removing waste, and ensure continuous maintenance of the area.

In preparation of the project and to gain necessary information, MuSPP staff together with the Municipality of Ferizaj/Urosevac organized a survey in order to map the location of the possible flooding and at the same time to retrofit this aspect in the plan.

All the processes implemented by MuSPP in coordination with partner municipalities have the participatory character and involve civil society organizations, municipal experts, citizens and local business community.

With this in view, in the premises of Youth Centre in Ferizaj/Urosevac on February 12 2010 a design workshop for Nerodime River was organized. During the workshop, residents of the affected areas supported by MuSPP, municipal officials and experts discussed necessary actions such as widening of the riverbed, to accommodate the velocity and quantity of water during flood seasons, removing waste from the river banks and riverbed, improving the sewage system, analyzing the appropriate locations for power lines and generator, and narrowing of the road on the eastern side of the river to accommodate flood mitigation infrastructure.