INTEGRATING CULTURAL HERITAGE INTO NATIONAL DISASTER PLANING, MITIGATION AND RELIEF MACEDONIA EXPERIENCE by Lazar SHUMANOV ICORP member ICOMOS Macedonia
Instead of foreword One pound before disaster save one hundred pound after disaster Sir Bernard M. FEILDEN
Risk Preparedness Cultural heritage created by human activities has existed and, should exist in the future, under conditions of permanent and latent perils, created by both of its human creators and the nature. What is our obligation and task about it? The task is as a society and as a profession, both on a national and international level, through relevant governmental institutions and non-governmental associations and experts, by various forms and methods, to reduce the harm from such permanent dangers/disasters to the greatest possible extent.
Did we have directions and recommendations how to fulfill our task? Answer is: Yes, we do. There are on international and national level? There are a lot.
On international level The international community i.e. the United Nations, compelled by the great number of natural disasters that caused immense damage and loss in the population, the economy and the cultural heritage, towards the end of the 1980 s s adopted the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR, 1990-2000) that urges the member states of the UN to adopt Strategies, Plans and Programmes for the preparation of the society to manage the dangers/disasters, harm reduction and relief.
5 main goals of IDNDR on its origin (1) - improve capacity of each country to mitigate the effects of natural disasters - developing countries assessment of damage potential establishment of early warning systems and disaster resistant structures ; (2) to devise appropriate guidelines and strategies for applying existing scientific and technical knowledge - taking account cultural and economic diversity ;
5 main goals of IDNDR on its origin (3) - to foster scientific and engineering endeavor aimed and addressing critical gaps in knowledge to reduce loss life and property ; (4) to disseminate existing and new technical information related to measures for the assessment, prediction and mitigation of natural disasters ; (5) - to develop measures for assessment, prediction, prevention and mitigation of natural disasters through programs of technical assistance and technology transfer, demonstration projects, education and training, and to evaluate the effectiveness of those programs.
It was in eighties of the last century. In that time Cultural Heritage was not mentioned. During the Decade and after a movement was rising to involve the treatment of the Cultural Heritage within relation of disasters, natural or man-made. made. Do we have other international efforts for better treatment of Cultural Heritage? Yes we do. Leaders of this treatment are ICCROM and ICOMOS and its International Committee ICORP.
Recently ICOMOS-ICORP ICORP made efforts to confirm importance of Cultural Heritage inclusion in National Strategies and Disasters Plans for mitigation and relief. Recent disasters have shown the need to incorporate the protection of historic properties and cultural resources into the broader disaster mitigation strategies and emergency response planning as there have been significant losses in these areas not only from the actual disaster, whether natural, or man-made, made, but also via post-event demolition of these structures. ICORP
Do we have other efforts on National level for better and appropriate treatment of Cultural Heritage? Yes, we do. MACEDONIA EXPERIENCE The dangers/disasters for the cultural heritage have different form and time span, irrespective of whether they are man made of natural. From our professional experience they exercise their influence in a closed cyclical process in three phases (A) before, (B) during and (C) after the danger/disaster.
If we decide to accept this global existence of cultural heritage through those 3 phases, we could focus our intention on the obligations, per particular phases, of the relevant factors-governmental and non- governmental institutions and associations as well professionals dealing with cultural heritage at local, national and international levels.
Do Macedonia has an actual National Strategy for integration of Cultural Heritage into Disaster plans for mitigation and relief? No, Macedonia don t t has a real National Strategy for Integrating Cultural Heritage into National Disaster Plans for mitigation and relief, but Macedonian governmental and non- governmental institutions and associations since the beginning of eighties of last century, before and after adoption of the DECADE till now
even though the Republic of Macedonia has no National Strategy nor National Plans for Integration of Cultural Heritage in the Plans for the protection from dangers/disasters by reducing their effect and the Plans for repair of the damage - nonetheless there are individual activities that the relevant (governmental and non-governmental institutions) that are directly or indirectly connected with the protection of the cultural heritage. Which are these relevant institutions and associations and what are those activities and conditions that are compatible with the five above mentioned goals of the decade?
They are: the existence of legal framework and standards for the protection of the cultural heritage the existence of Ministry of Culture the existence of the Cultural Heritage Protection Office the organization of national and local institutions such as conservation centers, national and local museums, national and local libraries, national and local archives
In the country there are institutions and organizations that are leaders in the field of cultural heritage protection and preparation for harm reduction from the dangers/disasters caused by man or nature, before and after the United Nations adopted the IDNDR (1990) Such organizations are: National Conservation Center (NCC) Institute for Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology Skopje (IZIIS) Cultural Heritage Protection Office (CHPO) National committees of ICOMOS, ICOM and BLUE SHIELD
Exactly these institutions since the late 80 s s of last century till today, implement activities that are considered of great importance, and which are identical or nearly identical to those contained in the UN Decade and recent recommendations of ICORP presented on UN Conference Global Platform on Risk Reduction, 2013- Geneva, Switzerland.
These are: formation of Indok Center for Documentation of Cultural Heritage completion of the national inventory of registered and recorded cultural heritage establishment of Regional centre for digitalization of documentation od Cultural Heritage model for documentation of cultural heritage in seismic active regions established contacts with international organizations such as UNESCO, ICCROM, ICOMOS, GCI in the field of education and knowledge transfer for the protection of cultural heritage in order to build the capacity of institutions and experts regionally and internationally realization of international and regional symposiums, seminars and workshops for conservation of cultural heritage in seismic prone regions realization of regional workshop on Cultural Heritage at risk in the event of armed conflict
1985- International Course on Preventive Measures for the Protection of o Cultural Monuments in Earthquake-Prone Regions IZIIS, ICCROM, supported by UNESCO 1988 1st International Seminar on Modern Principles in Conservation and Restoration of Urban and Rural Cultural Heritage in Seismic-Prone Regions, IZIIS-ICCROM ICCROM-RZZSK; RZZSK; 1991-1993 1993 Project: Conservation and Seismic Strengthening Of Byzantine Churches in Macedonia IZIIS-Getty Conservation Institute- RZZSK; 1997 Regional Workshop on Integrating Cultural Heritage into National Disaster Planning, Mitigation and Relief PRDU-York, UK; USICOMOS: ICOMOS Macedonia; Getty Grant Programme,, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia; 2002 Urgent Regional Workshop on Cultural Heritage on Risk in the event of Armed Conflict Macedonia Case - Ohrid Declaration 2002, Macedonia Declaration 2002, ICOMOS
2006 Regional Expert Meeting on Heritage Protection through Regional Cooperation on Education, transfer of Knowledge and technology ; CHwB and ICOMOS Macedonia; 2012 Proposal for Establishment of Network of specialized centers for Education, Training and Transfer of Knowledge protection of Cultural Heritage in Seismic Prone areas ICOMOS AD-COM Meeting, Beijing, China and ICORP Meeting in Istanbul, Turkey; 2014 Regional Symposium on Harmonization of National Cultural Heritage legislation with the European Regulations adopted Skopje Recommendations 2014. ICOMOS Macedonia
Instead of a conclusion If we carefully consider the above indicated five fundamental recommendations of the DECADE and the activities of the institutions mentioned in the past, -before and after the adoption of the same, we can rightly conclude that in Macedonia there are real opportunities as soon as possible to adopt: National Strategy and National plans for inclusion of cultural heritage protection plans for Management of dangers / disasters by reducing their impact and Plans for rehabilitation recovery of the situation.
We would like to insure all international and national society in Macedonia that ICOMOS Macedonia, together with the relevant governmental and non- governmental institutions and associations as soon as possible, will be INITIATOR for Establishment of NATIONAL STRATEGY for integration of Cultural Heritage into NATIONAL DISASTER Planning, Mitigation and Relief.
I will finish with the start: One pound before disaster saves one hundred pound after disaster Sir Bernard M. FEILDEN
Thank you for your attention Lazar SHUMANOV