Workshop

“Good Practices for Disaster Risk Management of Cultural Heritage”

This year, as ITC 2020 has been canceled because of COVID-19, we have implemented alternative projects such as the Webinar Series “Capacity Building for Disaster Risk Management of Cultural Heritage: Challenges and Opportunities in Post COVID Times” on 27th June and 4th July 2020, followed by the Workshop on “Good Practices for Disaster Risk Management of Cultural Heritage” for our former ITC participants through 8th to 10th October 2020. This workshop aimed to showcase good practices of disaster risk management of cultural heritage undertaken by former participants, and to discuss future directions based on the lessons learnt. In addition it reviewed the activities of ITC since 2006 and worked towards building a stronger network among the ITC lecturers and the former ITC participants.

Selection of good practice and award to the best practice

We opened a call for applications to former ITC participants who have participated in the ITC since 2006. Seven projects were selected through review of 27 applications submitted by the alumni of this course. The six presenters and one Exemplary presenter were selected through the review of the 27 applications that were submitted. All selected presenters presented their project during the workshop and, after consideration by our jury members, two presenters were selected for the Best Practice Award.

6 nominees for the Best Practice Award

• “Fire risk mitigation strategies for urban heritage site in Cairo, Egypt”
  Abdelhamid Salah Abdelhamid SAYED (ITC 2014, Egypt)
• “Mapping risks for cultural heritage in Mexico”
  Dulce María GRIMALDI (ITC 2016, Mexico)
• “Utilisation of traditional water cisterns as water source in case of fire in Gijokastra, Albania”
  Elena MAMANI (ITC 2014, Albania/Greek)
• “Disaster risk management plan for Punakha Dzong, Bhutan”
  Junko MUKAI and Dechen TSHERING (ITC 2010, Japan/Bhutan)
• “Disaster risk management plan for Humberstone and Santa Laura altpeter works, Pozo Almonte, Chile”
  Marcela HURTADO (ITC 2015, Chile)
• “Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (HNZPT) draft guidance for preparing heritage risk management plans”
  Vanessa Anne TANNER (ITC 2016, New Zealand)

Exemplary Practice Award

• “George Town world heritage city, Malaysia”
  Ming Chee ANG (ITC 2017, Malaysia)

Best Practice Award

• Dulce María GRIMALDI (ITC 2016, Mexico)
• Elena MAMANI (ITC 2014, Albania/Greek)

In addition, there was a special presentation about the practice of disaster risk management in Japan by Barbara Minguez GARCIA, a former ITC participant in 2016. Best practices of DRM in various countries such as Egypt, Mexico, Greek, Bhutan, Chile, New Zealand、Malaysia and Japan were presented during the workshop.

Revisiting ITC and establishment of network with the ITC former participants

Approximately 150 persons including the ITC lecturers, ITC former participants and the public audience participated in the workshop each day. On the first day, Dr. Webber Ndoro, ICCROM Director General, gave the inaugural address. This was followed by welcoming remarks from Prof. Takeyuki OKUBO, director of DMUCH. On the third day, a video message from Prof. Kenzo TOKI (Special Research Fellow of Kinugasa Research Organization), a founding father of ITC, and former director of DMUCH was presented. Prof. Toki’s continuous efforts have been instrumental in creating a strong community of disaster risk managers for cultural heritage in Japan and around the world. In addition, there were video messages of former ITC participants memories of the program. These former participants also discussed their contributions to their professional work after returning to their home countries.These inspirational messages were given by ITC 13 former participants. We would like to thank Prof. Toki and the former ITC participants for contributing to this video session. We were able to comprehensively revisit 14 years of ITC history and build a tighter bond with out ITC family.

Our new challenges included the presentations of former ITC participants. These projects were then evaluated by an internationally acclaimed jury. Through this we have established a solid network in the field of risk management and disaster mitigation related to cultural heritage among the ITC participants and ITC lecturers.

We will release the presentations and the video messages on our website and also publish the proceeding including discussions by the end of March 2021.

The ITC continuously aims to play an important role in building the institutional capacities needed to formulate comprehensive disaster risk management, develop outreach activities and disseminate our research outcomes to a broad international community in cooperation with the UNESCO, ICCROM, ICOMOS/ICORP and relevant institutions of the government of Japan.

Pictures

Presentation of Ms. Barbara Minguez Garcia	Presentation of Mr. Abdelhamid Salah Abdelhamid SAYED
Presentation of Ms. Vanessa Anne TANNER	Presentation of Ms. Elena MAMANI
Presentation of Ms. Marcela HURTADO	Presentation of Ms. Dulce María GRIMALDI
Presentation of Ms. Junko MUKAI	Presentation of Dr. Ming Chee ANG
Announcement of Best Practice Award	All Presenters, Juries and Secretariat