Recent initiatives among Category 2 Centers in Asia have sought to build awareness on the critical issue of safeguarding living heritage in the context of climate change. Living heritage around the world is increasingly under threat from the rising number of climate-related disasters. Yet at the same time these diverse practices, knowledge systems and expressions, passed down from generation to generation, can provide communities with a source of locally based strategies to help them prepare for and adapt to a changing climate.
The Regional Research Centre for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in West and Central Asia (Tehran ICH Centre) in collaboration with the International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (ICHCAP) recently held an expert meeting on safeguarding living heritage and building resilience to climate change in Western and Central Asia. The meeting benefitted from strong collaboration with the Persian Garden Institute for Living Heritage, which is a non-governmental organization accredited to provide advisory services to the Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Held in Isfahan, Islamic Republic of Iran, from 18 to 19 October 2023, the meeting provided a basis for sharing information and experiences in the sub-region and laid the foundation for developing future initiatives on the topic.
In Asia and the Pacific, the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia (UNESCO Beijing) in collaboration with the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) programme as well as three category 2 centres in Asia (ICHCAP, the International Training Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region and the International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region) have launched a call for case studies. These case studies are sought from individuals and teams, focusing on illustrating the roles and risk for intangible cultural heritage in the context of climate change across Asia and the Pacific. The collection of these experiences will enhance the Secretariat’s ongoing efforts to map initiatives on living heritage and climate change as part of its thematic work on the topic.The deadline to submit proposals is 30 January 2024.
Further information on the dual role of living heritage in emergencies