Amid the current pandemic, many cultural heritage institutions find themselves vulnerable to the risks of fire, flood, typhoons, earthquakes, and other such hazard events. The threats are however, not just limited to natural hazards, but also include man-made causes like looting, chemical explosions and armed conflicts. Often, heritage professionals are confronted with complex scenarios, where one hazard overlaps with another to create an even larger disaster. Recent examples include the floods in large parts of Asia, which coincided with the COVID-19 outbreak, making it difficult for emergency responders to divert already stretched resources to safeguard heritage collections and sites.

Culture cannot wait. Whether it is the rescue of ancient manuscripts or the careful salvage of a destroyed heritage building, affected communities will always strive to protect their cultural heritage following a crisis. But where does one start – especially when conflicts and disasters coincide with a health crisis? Are you interested in learning how to safeguard cultural heritage in complex crises, build resilient communities and promote peace?

The 2021 Training Course on Impact Assessments for World Heritage will introduce the updated Guidance on Impact Assessment for World Heritage, which has been prepared by the three Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Convention, ICOMOS, ICCROM and IUCN, in partnership with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Therefore, the course will explore how Impact Assessment can be applied to both natural and cultural World Heritage. With the support of the Government of Japan, practical experience will be gained and lessons will be shared during the field assessment of the World Heritage Site of Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region.