Heritage and Risk Management Strategies at Int'l Disaster Reduction Conference

Special Session on "Integrating traditional knowledge systems and concern for cultural and natural heritage into risk management strategies" on the occasion of the International Conference on Disaster Reduction (ICDR)

As a follow-up to the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (Kobe, January 2005) which acknowledged the importance of the protection of 'culturally important lands and structures' against natural disasters in its outcome documents entitled "Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015", this Special Session on Culture and Disaster Reduction will examine how traditional knowledge systems and cultural and natural heritage preservation can best be integrated into comprehensive risk management strategies. The session, organized by the World Heritage Centre in cooperation with ICCROM, is also intended to present the recently developed "Strategy on Risk Reduction at World Heritage properties", endorsed by the World Heritage Committee at its 30^th Session in Vilnius, Lithuania, as well as to enhance sharing of experiences and best practices in the area of cultural heritage risk management.