In February 2017, Europe launched a drive to protect its heritage sites from disasters. It followed a series of earthquakes that wrecked age-old buildings in central Italy.

The Increasing Resilience of Cultural Heritage project – ResCult for short – offers a means for civil protection departments, heritage ministries, local governments, European Union authorities, private investors and communities to work hand in hand on the issue.

ResCult aims to strengthen risk understanding in terms of cultural sites, as well as the potential impact on related economic activities and social cohesion. It also provides a tool to help develop and implement disaster reduction strategies.

Cultural heritage often contributes significantly to GDP, including through tourism and associated cultural industries. In Nepal, for instance, it contributes 9% of GDP, 7.5% of total employment and visitor expenditure generates over 25% of total exports.

Sacred sites, museums, libraries, collections, and archives including those that can hold local, national and global artifacts, legal deposits and vital records on governance and land tenure are part of the crucial human infrastructure that is often destroyed in the event of a disaster.

The Sendai Framework makes a strong call on States to protect cultural sites and heritage. It also highlights the role played by the indigenous peoples and local communities, who through their experience and traditional knowledge, can contribute to the development and implementation of disaster risk reduction plans and mechanisms.

The session’s other co-chair was Ms. Ana Lucy Bengochea, Community Leader from Garifuna, Honduras. The panelists were: Mr. Gianluca Silvestrini Executive Secretary, EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement, Council of Europe; Mr. Simon Lambert from New Zealand’s Indigenous Maori community, who is based at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada; Ms. Lara Steil, Acting Head of Brazil’s National Centre for Prevention of Forest Fires; Ms. Nuria Sanz, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Office in Mexico; and Mr. Todd Kuiack, Emergency Management Director at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.

Date:

26 May 2017

Sources:

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)

Themes:

Risk Identification & Assessment, Disaster Risk Management, Social Impacts & Social Resilience, Cultural Heritage

Hazards:

Earthquake

Countries:

Nepal

Regions:

Africa, Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania