Organizers

World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO, Shanghai Centre (WHITRAP Shanghai)

Partners

Online Training on Impact Assessments for World Heritage

In recent years, it has been noted that increasing numbers of World Heritage properties are facing pressure from various forms of development - including for example housing projects, commercial buildings and infrastructures - and other significant changes that affect their Outstanding Universal Value. The World Heritage Committee has seen the impacts of these factors in considerable numbers of State of Conservation Reports  and have been requesting impact assessments to inform decision making for many years. As part of their complementary mandates to build capacities of State Parties to the World Heritage Convention, WHITRAP Shanghai together with ICCROM, have organized training courses on Heritage Impact Assessment since 2012.

The 2021 Training Course on Impact Assessments for World Heritage will introduce the updated Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessment in a World Heritage context, which has been prepared jointly 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 properties.

Due to the ongoing Covid19 pandemic, WHITRAP and ICCROM will implement the 2021 course fully online. The course will be held daily from 1 to 9 November 2021. Daily sessions will consist of 3 hours online sessions that are scheduled from 1500 to 1800 (Shanghai, China).

15:00 – 18:00

Shanghai

08:00 – 11:00

Rome, Paris

14:00 - 17:00

Manila

16:00 – 19:00

Sydney

18:00 - 21:00

Auckland

Participants are required to commit to participate and engage in the course during the daily sessions.

Objectives

  • To equip the participants with current knowledge and skills of using Impact Assessment as a tool for informing decision-making regarding various factors affecting heritage in general, and World Heritage sites in particular;
  • To introduce participants to the updated methodology introduced by the new Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessment in a World Heritage context;
  • To provide participants with knowledge on management and monitoring requirements, and reporting mechanisms for World Heritage properties;
  • To enable participants to understand the benefits of linking nature and culture and the role of Impact Assessments in heritage management planning;
  • To promote the exchange of experiences and information in heritage management and conservation among practitioners.

Participants

The training is designed for a maximum of 20 participants. Priority is given to:

  • Mid-career heritage practitioners/ professionals/ decision makers interested in engaging in Impact Assessments practice at cultural or natural heritage sites;
  • Officials whose State Party have been requested to conduct an Impact Assessment by the World Heritage Committee.

Although this is a course primarily designed for the Asia-Pacific region, international participants are also welcome to apply, if they are willing to commit to the set time slots.

Certificate

A certificate of attendance given by the ICCROM-IUCN World Heritage Leadership Programme and WHITRAP will be awarded to participants who satisfactorily complete the course.