91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ

In a significant step towards safeguarding Mongolia¡¯s cultural heritage against the growing threats of climate change and natural disasters, a capacity-building workshop was held at Khustai National Park from October 28 to November 1, 2024. This workshop, organized by UNESCO and the National Center for Cultural Heritage, marked the first step of the ¡°Empowering Mongolia by Building Resilience Against Climate Emergencies¡± (EMBRACE) project, funded by the Heritage Emergency Fund. The event brought together experts, policymakers, and practitioners from both culture and the disaster risks sectors, to explore the integration of heritage and disaster risk reduction (DRR), with a particular focus on the recurring natural disaster known as dzud.

The workshop opened with a ceremony that set a collaborative and hopeful tone for the days ahead. Distinguished speakers, including Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, and Davaatseren B, Head of the Coordination Department for Cultural Heritage Policy Implementation at the Ministry of Culture, Sports, Tourism, and Youth, emphasized the critical need for interdisciplinary approaches to protect Mongolia¡¯s rich cultural heritage. 

A diverse range of themes have been covered in the workshop, providing the participants with a comprehensive view of the extent to which culture, cultural heritage and disaster risks interact and influence each other. To set the background, Rohit Jigyasu from ICCROM delivered a lecture on the foundational principles and concepts in the areas of cultural heritage and DRR, and Doljinsuren M from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change provided an overview of Mongolia¡¯s current climate change situation and national policies. 

To kick off the thematic sessions, Rohit Jigyasu presented the broader implications of DRR on World Heritage sites, followed by Enkhbat G, Director of the National Center for Cultural Heritage, who provided a detailed study on natural factors affecting cultural heritage. The session ended with a practical session on developing fire management strategies for cultural and natural heritage sites, led by Chris Marrion, which underscored the importance of sustainable and practical approaches to fire risk management.

The second session focused on museums, including presentations from Henry McGhee from University College London on mobilizing museums for climate actions and integrating DRR into museum practices, and Oyuntulga M, Head of Conservation, Protection and Technology Research of the National Center for Cultural Heritage on the significant findings from the research on museum environments in Mongolia and the implications for disaster risk reduction policy. Participants also engaged in a field visit of the Khustai National Park, providing them with practical insights into the challenges and strategies for protecting cultural heritage in situ.

Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and its safeguarding in the context of DRR were the last focus of the workshop. Chris Ballard from the Australian National University discussed the integration of DRR into ICH inventory, while Saruul A from the National Center for Cultural Heritage presented an assessment of natural hazards affecting ICH, specifically focusing on the dzud in the Eastern Region. A case study from Japan on harnessing traditional knowledge in community-based disaster risk management was presented by Dowon Kim from Ritsumeikan University, showcasing concrete examples of how ICH can be an integral part of the disaster risks management efforts.

A lot of time of the workshop was dedicated to group discussions, providing opportunities for participants across the sectors to exchange their views and forge ways for future collaborations. Several issues that deem important to the Mongolian context have emerged from these discussions. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration between cultural heritage professionals, environmental scientists, and disaster risk management experts was continuously highlighted as essential as we move forward. The need for ongoing capacity building and training for professionals in both the cultural heritage and DRR sectors was also underscored. Engaging local communities and leveraging traditional knowledge were highlighted as crucial components of effective DRR strategies. Last but not least, the workshop participants have expressed a strong interest and commitment to identify measures to address a diverse range of disasters affecting the culture sector as a whole, encompassing tangible and intangible, natural and cultural heritage.  

As the next step, the workshop participants will form inter-sectoral teams to carry out field missions in the 3 pilot locations: Altanbulag soum of Tuv province, Umnudelger soum of Khentii province, and Delgerkhaan soum of Khentii province. The findings of the field missions will inform a manual, providing guidance to concerned stakeholders in safeguarding cultural heritage when disasters strike, harnessing heritage for DRR actions, and eventually, integrating cultural heritage considerations into national and local DRR policies and strategies.