UNESCO Launches a Guide to Prevent Fires in Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites

UNESCO presented the Fire risk management guide: protecting cultural and natural heritage from fireduring the Fire Resilience for Heritage in a Changing Climate, held on 11-12 November 2024 at the Valparaíso Cultural Park in Chile.

This event, organised by UNESCO's Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean in collaboration with the National Centre for World Heritage Sites and the Municipal Corporation for the Administration of the World Heritage Site of Valparaíso, brought together experts from various countries to address the growing challenges that fires pose to heritage in the context of climate change.

Esther Kuisch Laroche, Director of UNESCO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasised the importance of the guide and the need to involve local communities and Indigenous knowledge in risk prevention and management strategies. In line with this, the conference included discussions on innovative approaches and international best practices for protecting heritage from fires, as well as presentations of experiences from specialists and communities in Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

The document was presented by Christopher Marrion (United States), Chair of the International Committee on Risk Preparedness (ICORP) at ICOMOS. It was reviewed by Macarena Carroza (Chile), Executive Director of the Municipal Corporation for the Administration of the World Heritage Site, Historic Area of the Port City of Valparaíso; Muhammad Al-Absi (Jordan), Disaster Risk Management Specialist at ICESCO; and Denis Lukwago (Uganda), Site Manager of the Kasubi Tombs, a World Heritage Site in Uganda.

Participantes en el evento

Diego Viveros

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The keynote lecture,"Fostering Fire Resilience in a Changing Climate through the Shared Heritage of Humanity,"was presented by Juan Cusanero Elías, a member of the Kaqchikel Maya community from Guatemala. He addressed the topic from a philosophical to a practical perspective, emphasising the cosmogonic view of fire, its integrated management, the involvement of stakeholders with specific roles, collective management, and traditional governance.

Additionally, specialists and community representatives from Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Botswana, Chile, Croatia, Egypt, Spain, the United States, France, Guatemala, Malaysia, Peru, South Africa, Suriname, Uganda, Uruguay, and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela participated.

The launch of the guide marked the beginning of a pilot project supported by UNESCO's Heritage Emergency Fund. This project will be implemented at the Valparaíso World Heritage Site and in Los Alerces National Park in Argentina, where the guide's recommendations will be adapted as part of a comprehensive strategy to mitigate risks and strengthen local capacities.