UNESCO Exhibition on Underwater Cultural Heritage in Almaty

In collaboration with the UNESCO Chair for Conservation of Historical and Cultural Heritage at the Kazakh Head Architectural and Construction Academy(KazGASA) and the Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, exhibitions on Underwater Cultural Heritage were held in Almaty. Additionally, an exhibition was organized at the UN Plaza for students and teachers from UNESCO Associated Schools. The traveling exhibition took place from September 13 to 27, 2024.

During the exhibition in museum, the director of the UNESCO Almaty Regional Office, Amir Piric, delivered an opening speech, stating, "Today we want to draw the attention of the population, museum visitors and especially young people to the issues of protecting cultural heritage in general."

Students, schoolchildren, and all museum visitors had the unique opportunity to delve into the topic of Underwater Cultural Heritage and UNESCO's initiatives, particularly the international mission that explored and addressed the conservation of underwater treasures and historical artifacts.

In addition to the exhibition, an engaging lecture on underwater cultural heritage was organized for students and schoolchildren, providing them with new insights and the chance to ask questions.

The exhibition aimed to raise awareness about underwater cultural heritage, draw attention to its preservation and study, and enhance knowledge about the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. It also sought to inspire young people to explore history and cultural heritage in general.

Underwater cultural heritage is a witness to our common memory for several millennia. Oceans, seas, lakes and rivers hide from view and protect beneath the surface a priceless heritage, largely unknown and undervalued. No one can protect what is unknown. In the words of the famous captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, "We love what we admire, and we protect what we love." Today, these underwater remains are threatened by plundering and commercial exploitation, industrial trawling, coastal development, exploitation of natural resources and the seabed. These remains are also weakened by global warming, water acidification and pollution.

Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH) faces threats such as treasure hunting, looting, and commercial exploitation. Environmental degradation and climate change also pose significant dangers.

In 2018, eight Mediterranean countries united to protect and study Underwater Cultural Heritage. In 2022, the largest international mission to safeguard UCHunder UNESCO's aegis commenced. Researchers from Algeria, Croatia, Egypt, France, Italy, Morocco, Spain, and Tunisia collaborated on the French research vessel "Alfred Merlin" for 14 days. The mission included two autonomous projects:

• "Banka Skerki, Tunisian Continental Shelf";
• "Following Ballard-McCann, Italian Continental Shelf."