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With the presence of communities, authorities and key services in risk management, the official closing of the project ‘Strengthening fire risk management and emergency preparedness in the World Heritage Site of Valparaíso’, financed by the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF), implemented jointly with the Municipal Corporation World Heritage Site of Valparaíso, the Federico Santa María Technical University and supported by UNESCO, took place on 20 May 2025.

At the event, Esther Kuisch Laroche, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago and Macarena Carroza, Executive Director of the Municipal Corporation World Heritage Site of Valparaíso, together with the Rector of the Federico Santa María Technical University, Juan Yuz Eissmann, officially handed over the adapted version of the UNESCO Guide for Fire Risk Management: ‘Fire Risk Management Plan for the World Heritage Site of Valparaíso and its Buffer Zone’.

It is a document that consolidates the lessons learned and strategies developed throughout the project, and establishes a single emergency response protocol, strengthening local capacities to protect both life and cultural heritage.

Esther Kuisch Laroche, Director of UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago, said: "Today we are delivering a concrete tool, built with the community, to strengthen Valparaiso's response capacity to one of the greatest risks facing its heritage: fires. This adapted Guide is a document that shows the collaborative work that unites the local knowledge of its inhabitants, international experience and the commitment of public institutions and citizens".

Macarena Carroza, executive director of the Municipal Corporation World Heritage Site of Valparaíso, underlined that "having the UNESCO Fire Risk Management Guide adapted to the reality of Valparaíso represents a fundamental starting point. Inputs like this are key to organise and coordinate the roles and responsibilities of the public sector, the communities and our Corporation. Only with this articulation will we be able to advance in a timely and effective response to fire emergencies, but also in something equally important: the management of the day after, that is, the processes of repair, reconstruction and recovery of heritage".

"This management plan that was worked on with the community, where there was participatory work and workshops, is a starting point for joint work, articulation with the community, the municipality, the regional government, the university, neighbourhood councils, tenants, children and adolescents who are the future of the site and of the city of Valparaíso. We congratulate this work that allows us to take better care of our cultural heritage," said Carolina Pérez Dattari, Undersecretary of Cultural Heritage.

Meanwhile, the rector of the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Juan Yuz Eissmann, added, "it is important to highlight our heritage and prevent disasters. This guide is in line with our university, this commits us through our academics and as an institution".

It should be noted that the project included four community and institutional workshops, which were conducted by a team of experts from the Federico Santa María Technical University, for the adaptation and implementation of the adapted version of the UNESCO Guide for Fire Risk Management, which allowed the needs of the inhabitants of the Site to be assessed.

In addition, the project worked on the delivery of emergency kits to the Site's Neighbourhood Councils, along with practical training given by OTEC 1851 of the Valparaiso Fire Department, focusing on the proper use of equipment and emergency preparedness.

Awareness-raising activities were also carried out to promote a culture of prevention, such as a structural fire drill at the Santa Ana School, which mobilised more than 500 people and was supported by the fire brigade, National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred) and local authorities. Workshops on prevention and the use of fire extinguishers were held at the same school, as well as an educational storytelling event that addressed prevention from an artistic approach, aimed at children.

The awareness-raising actions also include a campaign with information booklets and audiovisual clips (educational videos), aimed at all citizens, to continue strengthening the culture of prevention in the World Heritage Site.

"As leaders, we believe that this initiative is fundamental to mitigate an incident that could harm us as a neighbourhood. Our role as a neighbourhood council is to spread this with our community," said Wladimir Ibaceta, president of the Cerro Alegre Bajo neighbourhood council in Valparaíso.

After living through a fire in Barrio Puerto, which left four fatalities, strengthening fire resilience is now an essential component, which in this collaborative experience takes concrete form in the adapted UNESCO guide.