Protecting Cultural Heritage in the Face of Disasters: Key Insights from South Australia’s Inaugural Forum
- johannavalentine
- Nov 1, 2024
- 2 min read
In September 2023, the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission (SAFECOM) hosted the first-ever Cultural Heritage & Disasters Forum at Adelaide Town Hall. This pioneering event brought together over 60 cultural heritage experts and emergency management professionals to address an increasingly urgent question: how can we better protect our cultural heritage from the growing risks of disasters?
Why Cultural Heritage Matters in Disaster Risk Reduction
Cultural heritage is more than an aesthetic or historical luxury; it’s a cornerstone of community identity and resilience. This sentiment, expressed by former UNESCO Chief Boccardi, framed the forum’s discussions, underscoring that cultural heritage serves as a “glue” for social cohesion. Amid escalating disaster risks, safeguarding these assets is not only essential for historical preservation but also for fostering a sense of belonging and continuity within communities.
Key Themes and Insights
The forum addressed the unique challenges of protecting cultural heritage, including the impact of climate-driven disasters on both tangible and intangible assets. Participants engaged in hands-on activities, choosing different disaster scenarios to discuss the balance between immediate safety and long-term heritage preservation. Through these discussions, six main themes and 41 actionable insights emerged, focusing on:
Collaborative Networks: Establishing forums to enable continuous communication between cultural heritage stakeholders and emergency management agencies. This networking is vital to ensure that heritage considerations are embedded in emergency plans from the start.
Heritage Mapping and GIS: Utilising Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map cultural heritage sites can provide emergency responders with precise locations and culturally sensitive data, enabling more targeted protection during disaster events.
Community Involvement and Empowerment: Recognising that communities are often the custodians of cultural heritage, the forum emphasised local engagement. This includes integrating traditional Indigenous knowledge and practices, which can offer sustainable solutions for heritage preservation.
Training and Capacity Building: Training cultural heritage custodians and responders in disaster response can bolster resilience. Disaster resilience training, provided in part by SAFECOM’s collaboration with local museums, is already underway to help these communities prepare for potential hazards.
Policy and Disaster Planning: Including heritage protection within disaster plans and decision-making processes ensures a proactive approach. Involving cultural heritage professionals in these discussions can provide critical insights on how best to protect these assets.
Innovative Preservation Strategies: Beyond traditional methods, exploring Indigenous cultural burning and other sustainable practices could offer alternative strategies for landscape and heritage site preservation.
A Roadmap for Future Action
The Cultural Heritage & Disasters Forum signifies a shift towards a more integrated approach to disaster risk reduction (DRR) in South Australia. With ongoing collaboration and commitment to the actions identified, this forum sets a promising precedent for protecting cultural heritage at a state and national level. By embedding cultural heritage considerations into disaster planning and response, we can fortify our shared legacy and build a resilient future that honors the past.
A copy of the public report can be found here.
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