Building Damage Assessment in Albania

The direct beneficiaries are:

1. National Construction Institute, National Civil Protection Agency and municipal disaster management units which are part of disaster risk management system.
2. Municipal civil engineers who are responsible for conducting building damage assessment at local level.

The end beneficiaries are:

Citizens and civil society, who are affected by earthquakes, including vulnerable and socially excluded groups, which are often disproportionately affected by natural hazards. 

1. Policy and legal framework for postdisaster building damage assessment is improved and aligned with international standards (outcome at institutional level).
2. National Construction Institute and municipalities possess sufficient institutional and technical capacities to conduct building damage assessment with increased transparency towards the population (outcome at institutional level).
3. Public awareness on seismic risks, earthquake safety, post-disaster procedures and standards is enhanced (outcome at population level).

Resultados previstos:  

1.1. Government of Albania approves the package of improved legal procedures on building damage assessment.

2.1. National Construction Institute establishes a certified training programme on post-disaster building damage assessment.

2.2. National Construction Institute disseminates the knowledge on building damage assessment to the municipal level. 

3.1. National Civil Protection Agency conducts effective public raising awareness campaigns.

3.2. Municipal civil protection units implement public awareness campaigns. 

Resultados de las fases anteriores:   Swiss Humanitraian Aid conducted three follow-up missions, which reached two conclusions: (1) local population has little awareness on seismic risks, appropriate behaviour during earthquakes and relevant post-disaster mechanisms; (2) building damage assessment procedures do not meet international standards due to lack of expertise.