Organizers: The Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia represented through its Heritage Commission, Saudi National Committee for Education, Culture and Science and ICCROM-IUCN World Heritage Leadership Programme.
The Heritage Commission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and ICCROM are looking for 20 heritage practitioners from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to join the course on "Disaster Risk Management and Resilience for World Heritage" course. This course addresses the challenges and opportunities for building resilience in heritage places through disaster risk management and climate change adaptation. The course builds on the understanding that disaster risk management efforts are an integral component of the effective management of World Heritage properties and other heritage places, and there is the need to closely connect risk management measures with the wider heritage management system of World Heritage properties.
The course serves as a platform for participants to learn more about disaster risk management and resilience framework and also to share their knowledge and experiences on disaster risk management measures implemented at their heritage places. The course guides participants in developing heritage management actions that consider multiple hazards and risk factors related to disasters (including those resulting from climate change) from the larger natural setting, being able to solicit management solutions for risk mitigation, adaptation and preparedness for World Heritage properties.
Disaster risk management and climate change adaptation will be key components of a new risk management approach for integrated conservation, and management of nature and culture within heritage places to build their resilience. For World Heritage properties to adopt disaster risk management and climate change adaptation as a crucial and indivisible component of policies and management strategies for heritage sites, including their larger contexts, and to have in place effective risk management planning for World Heritage, which encompasses effective strategies for mitigation, adaptation and preparedness to address climate change and disaster risks will be raised and discussed.
In line with the content being developed within WHL, the course content and structure are based on the forthcoming resource manuals on "Managing Word Heritage" and "Managing Disaster Risk and Building Resilience for World Heritage". This course will improve conservation practices for culture and nature through the work of the World Heritage Convention, establish the contribution of World Heritage properties to sustainable development, strengthen cooperation between diverse partners and formulate a network of collaboration for such integration as a crucial basis for the success of the entire programme.
Course context
In recent years, unpredictable disasters caused by natural hazards, such as flooding, earthquakes, fires, and storms, have affected the region's diverse heritage places. Human actions such as tourism, economic development and urban expansion are also dramatically impacting heritage. Furthermore, conflicts and political instability are also causing significant threats to the protection of heritage with a massive impact on communities and their socio-economic and cultural life. These hazards can affect heritage at various levels, both locally, nationally and regionally. Whether natural or human-induced, risks affect heritage's physical condition and intangible aspects of heritage. As a result, intervention and action are needed to help protect the region's heritage. Unfortunately, restoring heritage to its original state can be difficult, and sometimes the damage is irreversible. Therefore, disaster risk management of heritage is urgently needed.
For World Heritage sites, risk management is a crucial and indivisible component of policies and management strategies for heritage places and their larger contexts. It is essential for properties to have in place effective disaster risk management planning for World Heritage properties, which encompass effective strategies for mitigation, adaptation, and preparedness to reduce disaster risks will be raised and discussed. In addition, it is important to recognize the link between disasters and climate change, looking at ways of integrating climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies with disaster risk management of cultural heritage.
Target Groups
The course "Disaster Risk Management and Resilience for World Heritage" is dedicated to site coordinators, members of management teams, institutions, and heritage practitioners working with World Heritage properties and other heritage places in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and in GCC countries.
The selection process will prioritize candidates fulfilling the following criteria:
- Practitioners working at a World Heritage property or heritage place;
- Individuals involved more generally in World Heritage conservation and management, for example, those working in heritage at a regional or national level, policymakers and other representatives of institutions, non-governmental organizations, charities, local associations, community groups, researchers, etc.
- Professionals from the field of disaster management and civic defence institutions.
Learning Outcomes
The course aims to address the challenges and opportunities for building the resilience of heritage places, including their people and local communities, through managing risks from various factors, including disasters and climate change. The course will serve as a platform for participants to share their knowledge and experiences on risk management on heritage places and to understand how risk-based thinking is an integral component of the effective management of World Heritage properties and other heritage places. The course guides participants in developing heritage management actions that consider multiple risk factors, including disasters and climate change from the larger natural setting, for risk mitigation, adaptation and preparedness of heritage places, including World Heritage Sites.
The course will provide the background for theoretical and policy frameworks to manage risks, including those from disasters and climate change, and offer a range of hands-on practical methods for analyzing the wider range of risk factors and designing mitigation, adaptation and preparedness strategies for specific case studies.
The objectives of this capacity-building activity are:
- Participants can understand the basics of the heritage management structure by adopting a place-based approach for understanding the natural setting, people involved and the cultural features;
- Participants can understand how disaster risk management is a crucial and indivisible component of policies and management strategies for heritage places and their larger contexts;
- Participants can critically analyze risk factors (including those from climate change) that need to be taken into account for risk management planning;
- Participants can integrate disaster risk management with the overall heritage management system by adopting appropriate adaptation, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery measures;
- Participants can plan and implement basic disaster risk mitigation measures to counteract effects related to climate change, natural hazards, and human-made actions.
Course Outline
The course will provide participants with a comprehensive overview of disaster risk management and resilience in the context of World Heritage, starting from an understanding of the management system for World Heritage. The course will cover the following topics:
- Introduction to World Heritage basics
- Value-based management and the Heritage Place approach
- Values and attributes
- Introduction to disaster risk management and its relationship with the wider heritage management framework
- Disaster risk factors affecting heritage places and their causes
- Identifying risk factors and cause-effect relationships
- Risk assessment methodology for World Heritage
- Designing Disaster Risk Scenarios
- DRM governance
- Mitigation, adaptation and preparedness measures
- Emergency responses in the context of heritage
- Planning, roles and responsibilities during response and recovery
- Preparing DRM-related action plans and developing a monitoring system
Application
The application process is as follows:
- complete the online application form in Arabic or English
- upload a personal photo
- upload your professional curriculum vitae (in English; maximum two pages)
(Allowed formats: pdf, doc, docx, jpg, jpeg, png, tif, tiff; maximum file size of 5 MB).
Please submit your application via the Saudi Heritage Commission.