Disaster Risk Management of Cultural Heritage in Urban Areas
A Training Guide
The changing scope and nature of heritage has extended beyond monuments to include typologies such as settlements, cultural landscapes, movable objects and even intangible aspects such as socio-cultural beliefs, skills and practices. This new definition brings into focus the living dimension of heritage that seeks to pursue continuity and evolution rather than mere preservation. The exposure of cultural heritage to various disaster risks depends greatly on the typology of heritage being addressed. The training course could potentially focus on a specific type of heritage based on :
The scale and form of the heritage in question could include movable objects such as sculptures or paintings, individual heritage structures, historic urban landscapes or heritage precincts and towns.
Different materials and construction systems have different kinds of vulnerability to certain hazards, and an emphasis on a single material or a combination of materials and technologies would help participants focus on approaches, methodologies and techniques responding to specific kinds of hazards.
The historic, aesthetic and other values of cultural heritage under discussion are especially important while formulating a disaster risk management plan, as they will inform the planning process, its limitations and scope in detail.
