On 25-26 November 2024, the ICCROM and IUCN World Heritage Leadership programme (WHL) delivered a two-day World Heritage Impact Assessment workshop in Dublin, Ireland to 80 participants working in heritage, planning, tourism and development. The workshop was carried out in partnership with the Irish National Monuments Service and the Office of Public Works.
The workshop focused on the ‘Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context’ published in 2022 by UNESCO, ICCROM, ICOMOS and IUCN to support capacity building of heritage institutions and practitioners.
To share the principles and processes outlined in the Guidance effectively, the WHL programme has been providing capacity building support to World Heritage State Parties and other actors, to identify, evaluate, avoid, assess alternatives and mitigate the potential negative environmental, social and heritage impacts of development proposals before a decision on their funding or implementation is taken. Additionally, the programme identifies ways of enhancing proposed projects by actively planning for positive impacts for both heritage and society.
The national workshop on impact assessment in Ireland was designed to provide participants with knowledge on the overall impact assessment process, management and monitoring requirements, and reporting mechanisms for World Heritage properties. It provided an opportunity for participants to analyze the values and attributes of World Heritage properties and understand the need for linking nature and culture for the holistic management of heritage within a larger context. The World Heritage property of Sceilg Mhichíl was used as a case study to enable participants to apply the steps and tools shared in the workshop hands-on.
The workshop also delved into the legal aspects of impact assessments, exploring how such processes can be activated for World Heritage properties in the Irish legal context. Updates about ongoing revisions in both heritage protection and planning legislation were also explored in depth.
The workshop brought together professionals working in various disciplines and roles spanning from heritage conservation, general management, local planning, development, and tourism. The importance of exchanging experience and information among practitioners, and especially between the heritage and planning sectors, was highlighted throughout.