Launch of a Workshop on understanding people, nature and culture – 4 February 2021
In recent years, Southeast Asia has been affected by unpredictable disasters caused by natural hazards, such as flooding, tsunamis, earthquakes, fires and tropical storms. The region is home to invaluable and significant cultural heritage forms, ranging from the tangible, such as museum and archival collections, ancient monuments, archaeological sites, as well as the intangible: customs, music, crafts and traditional lifestyles. While at times damage can be extensive and at times irreversible, there are ways in which we can mitigate risks, build resilience and adapt to changing realities. In this spirit, the second training workshop on Disaster Risk Management for cultural heritage in Southeast Asia kicked off with an inaugural session held on 4 February 2021.
The theme of the workshop is “Understanding People, Nature, Culture: Heritage Management for Building Resilience of Living Traditional Settlements”. Jointly organized by ICCROM and SEAMEO-SPAFA in collaboration with Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan, it is being held for the first time in a fully online format.
This workshop will address the challenges and opportunities for increasing resilience for heritage settlements through disaster risk management and climate change adaptation. Through collaboration with the World Heritage Leadership Programme led by ICCROM and IUCN, the workshop hopes to improve cultural and nature conservation practice through the World Heritage Convention. Through the established tools and methodologies on disaster risk management, this workshop for the first time also seeks to apply the knowledge framework for a place-based approach for heritage management that is currently under development as part of the Leadership Programme.
Fifteen interactive online sessions will be conducted by resource persons who have longstanding experience in cultural heritage conservation, disaster risk management and climate change adaptation for cultural heritage at regional and international levels. Twenty-four mid-career professionals from Southeast Asia, South Asia and Africa working in cultural heritage conservation, disaster risk management and environment sectors are attending this training event.
In his inaugural address, the Director-General of ICCROM, Webber Ndoro, reiterated ICCROM's longstanding commitment to building capacity in disaster risk management and climate change adaptation for cultural heritage. He also emphasized the importance of using such regional initiatives to build South-South collaboration.