Sub-title: Planning and construction of 522 apartments and social facilities in the city of Laç, affected by the earthquake of November 2019
Country: Albania (Laç, Kurbin Municipality)
Date: July 2020 - August 2021
Category: Plan/Programme, Project
Tags: Land-Use Planning, Build Back Better, Disaster Risk Reduction, Public Participation, Information to the Public, Transboundary Cooperation
Organization(s) involved: Albania: The Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, Ministry of Finance and Economy, National Housing Authority, and the Ministry of State for Reconstruction; Turkey: The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, Housing Development Administration
The TOKI project consists of the planning and construction of 13 buildings, including a total of 522 apartments, 375 parking spaces, 37 service units and a commercial shopping center, to accommodate the needs of inhabitants affected by the earthquake of 26 November 2019.
The project, which is the first of its kind in Albania, will be implemented in accordance with two Land Use Plans established for the local area. It falls under a land-use planning, housing reconstruction and “build back better” programme, based on the one established by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, Housing Development Administration of Turkey, who cooperated with the abovementioned organizations. It aims to address solutions according to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
The project meets the SDGs in the following ways: Goal 3: the new construction will help to avoid deaths and illnesses from disasters by minimizing – to the extent possible – their consequences on the population; Goal 6: the planning and construction aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, in an integrated manner since the entire area will be built from scratch; Goal 9: the project includes the construction of disaster-resilient infrastructure, to promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and to foster innovation in order to achieve affordable and equitable access for all; Goal 11: integrates policies and measures – through cooperation between ministries, experts and the public – to establish the new area of Laç in an inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable way, and to achieve resilience to disasters, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction; Goal 15: the planning and construction process will protect the non-damaged terrestrial ecosystems, reverse the land degradation caused by the earthquake, and integrate ecosystems and biodiversity values into local planning; and Goal 16: the process ensures participatory decision-making by involving the public in discussions related to the preparedness for and response to potential future disasters.
The project adopts two priorities from the Sendai Framework, to reduce existing disaster risks, as follows:

• Investing in disaster reduction measures for resilience, including enhancing disaster preparedness between the local authorities, emergency services and the public, for an effective emergency response in the event of a disaster caused by natural or technological hazards in the future. Regarding the detailed planning and construction, the developer (in cooperation with the relevant local authorities and ministries) has taken all the necessary measures to ensure that the constructed facilities can withstand seismic events with a magnitude of up to 9 points. The construction includes reinforced concrete, brick masonry and slab foundations for buildings using a sturdy elastic base. For the purposes of the project, geological-seismological studies and other technical assessments have been conducted by experts including those from the Institute of Construction.

 

• “Build Back Better” is the primary aim of the recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the site. In order to increase the durability of the floor and the foundations of the buildings to withstand climatic events or other accidents throughout their lifespan, engineering measures have been taken to reinforce the ground with deep foundations evenly distributed below each building. In addition, due to the presence of groundwater and potential flooding issues, it was decided to reinforce the building foundations with approximately 2,000 piles (i.e. foundations used to transfer the load to a deeper level to give extra support to the building) with a depth of 8-11 metres depending on the soil. Other measures have also been taken to increase the durability of the roads and the stability of the soil.

Therefore, the TOKI project in Albania, implemented as part of the land-use planning, housing reconstruction and “build back better” programme, is an example of bringing together experts in land-use planning and disaster risk reduction – including across borders – to build back better and improve the resilience of a disaster-prone area, for the health and wellbeing of the residents and the environment.
The details of this good practice can be found at:

• The TOKI webpage: https://ekb.gov.al/ (in Albanian)

 

• Contact: www.toki.gov.tr/en/housing-programs.html

 

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