Cultural Heritage and Indigenous Knowledge for Building Resilience

Cultural heritage, both in its tangible and intangible forms, is increasingly at risk of disasters, with compounded risk from the impacts of climate change, unplanned urbanization and environmental degradation. However, cultural heritage and traditional knowledge are not merely exposed to disaster risk but are also vital assets that contribute directly to building community resilience.

The Sendai Framework makes a strong call on States to protect cultural and collecting institutions and sites. It also highlights the role played by the indigenous peoples and local communities, who through their experience and traditional knowledge, can contribute to the development and implementation of disaster risk reduction plans and mechanisms.

The working session will promote the need to mainstream cultural heritage considerations in national and local policies and strategies and the fuller engagement of indigenous peoples and local communities in disaster risk reduction. The session will also identify practical measures to catalyze actions that build capacities of the concerned authorities, local communities and indigenous peoples, to reduce disaster risks, protect cultural assets and to draw on heritage for resilience.

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Cultural Heritage and Indigenous Knowledge for Building Resilience