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On March 7, 2025, the municipality of Bahía Blanca in Argentina suffered heavy rains, which meant the fall of 400 millimeters in a period of 6 hours, causing flash floods in this municipality of the province of Buenos Aires with 350,000 inhabitants, submerging parts of the city under up to two meters of water, which caused the evacuation of thousands of people and resulted in 16 fatalities. 

According to the preliminary assessment of the local authorities, most of the cultural, educational and scientific institutions in and around the city suffered serious consequences as a result of the floods, destroying facilities and equipment and endangering the well-being of local communities, including teachers, students, researchers and artists. 

Following the dramatic situation, and at the request of the Permanent Delegation of Argentina to UNESCO, the Organization mobilized for the deployment of a multi-sectoral rapid post-disaster assessment mission, whose culture component will be supported by the Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF). 

“The floods in Bahía Blanca not only damaged infrastructure, but also had a direct impact on the cultural, scientific and educational rights of an entire community. At UNESCO, we quickly mobilized to support the municipality and contribute to safeguarding its heritage and its spaces for creation, research and memory. This mission will also make it possible to meet the urgent needs of the cultural ecosystem, universities and the local scientific sector, fundamental pillars for an equitable and resilient reconstruction. This work is being carried out in close cooperation with the Municipality of Bahía Blanca and other local authorities, whose commitment and coordination have been key to making a comprehensive and effective response possible,” said Ernesto Fernández Polcuch, Director of UNESCO's Regional Office in Montevideo and head of the evaluation mission to Bahía Blanca.

The mission, which will take place from June 9 to 12, has been prepared over the last few months in close coordination with local authorities, and especially with the Cultural Institute of Bahía Blanca, for the definition of needs and the establishment of priorities. 

Among the more than 40 cultural institutions reported as affected, the mission will focus on the following that have been identified as key to be visited during the expert assessment and advisory mission due to the cultural loss suffered and their relevance to the cultural life of the community: Municipal Theater, Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Roberto J. Payró Popular Library, José Hernández Popular Library, Rehabilitation Center, Popular Library and Protected Production Workshop for the visually impaired. 

All these institutions suffered damage to their building infrastructure, furniture, collections and archives. 

The mission will bring together a total of 6 international and national experts in cultural heritage, architecture, museums and cultural and creative industries to document and assess in detail the damage to infrastructure and collections and its impact on cultural rights and community life; the identification of immediate threats, establishing priorities, needs and proposing the urgent measures necessary to stabilize and protect sites and their collections from further deterioration; as well as the assessment of the impact of the disaster on the cultural and creative industries, identifying needs and making recommendations to strengthen resilience capacities in terms of access and participation in culture.

“The visit of a UNESCO mission to Bahía Blanca marks a historic milestone, not only because of the prestige and trajectory of the professionals that make up the mission, but mainly because of the significance of having the presence of a key international organization in the promotion of peace, education and sustainable development on a global scale. Its arrival, relevant in this particular and sensitive moment that the city is going through, ratifies its commitment with the territories that, like Bahía Blanca, resurface promoting inclusive processes from culture, science and cooperation” stressed Natalia Martirena, Director of the Cultural Institute of Bahía Blancal.