UNESCO Launches Disaster Risk Management Training to Protect World Heritage Sites in Africa

Aiming to empower site managers, the programme will help safeguard Africa’s World Heritage sites from increasing disaster risks, ensuring both cultural preservation and human safety.

Disasters and risk management remain urgent concerns for World Heritage sites across Africa, as the increasing frequency and complexity of natural disasters pose significant threats to these irreplaceable cultural treasures. According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), millions are impacted each year by extreme natural phenomena such as storms, floods, droughts, wildfires, and extreme temperatures. With this stark reality in mind, UNESCO has launched a regional project to strengthen disaster risk management capacities at African World Heritage sites.

On November 28-29, 2024, UNESCO began a two-day online training component for the “Capacity Building in Risk Management and Protection Systems in Africa” project, designed to empower site managers with the tools they need to safeguard World Heritage sites. This initiative is in collaboration with the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) and the Ecole du patrimoine africain (EPA), with financial support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The project aligns with UNESCO’s Flagship Programme 3 of the Operation Strategy for Priority Africa (2022-2029) and the Strategy for World Heritage in Africa.

The programme brings together site managers from six key African World Heritage sites:

• Historic Town of Grand-Bassam (Côte d'Ivoire)
• Island of Saint-Louis (Senegal)
• Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba (Togo/Benin)
• Royal Palaces of Abomey (Benin)
• Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi (Uganda)
• Stone Town of Zanzibar (United Republic of Tanzania)

Hands-On Training and Site Visits: A Holistic Approach to Disaster Risk Management

The project’s physical training session took place from December 9-13, 2024, at the Royal Palaces of Abomey (Benin), a UNESCO World Heritage site. This training session served as an invaluable opportunity for site managers and key stakeholders to exchange experiences and knowledge, while addressing practical challenges in disaster risk management. Participants engaged in discussions around key concepts such as distinguishing between a hazard and vulnerability and understanding the importance of protecting both the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of a site and the human lives in and around it during any disaster.

A significant portion of the training involved field visits to the Royal Palaces of Abomey, where participants worked to identify the property’s key values and attributes, as well as the hazards that threaten them. A practical session using Google Earth allowed the participants to map out these attributes and potential hazards, strengthening their ability to visualize disaster risks and prepare accordingly.

Learning from Local Experience: Insights from Fire Risk Management

To provide further insights into disaster preparedness, mitigation, and response, the site managers had the unique opportunity to meet with the head of the fire department in the Zou department, which includes the Royal Palaces of Abomey. The discussion focused on the devastating fire that occurred at the site in August 2018, giving participants a chance to learn from the challenges and responses to this incident. Understanding past disaster events in the context of the site’s vulnerabilities is crucial for developing effective risk management plans in the future.

Next Steps: Developing Disaster Risk Management Plans

The next stage of the programme involves the drafting of comprehensive disaster risk management plans by the end of 2024. These plans will be developed with expert guidance and will be designed to address the specific risks and needs of each site. Once drafted, these plans will be shared with key stakeholders at the national level, including governments, local authorities, and technical partners, to ensure that the plans are implemented effectively. UNESCO will play a pivotal role in mobilizing technical and financial support to bring these plans to fruition at both the national and regional levels.

This capacity-building initiative is a critical step toward addressing the growing threats to World Heritage sites in Africa and ensuring that these sites are preserved for future generations. By equipping site managers with the necessary knowledge and resources, UNESCO aims to foster resilience against natural disasters, safeguarding both cultural heritage and the livelihoods of local communities.