Climate change impacts cultural heritage globally, and increasingly poses challenges to heritage managers and conservators. Sharing experiences and management practices among local practitioners and experts on flood risk management is today of utmost importance for cultural heritage protection and emergency response. As a result, within the framework of the EU-funded SHELTER project, a peer-learning mission was organised last September in the Netherlands by the International Sava River Basin Commission and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education with the support of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe.
The SHELTER project, Sustainable Historic Environments hoListic reconstruction through Technological Enhancement and community-based Resilience, aims to develop a data-driven and community-based knowledge framework that brings together the scientific community and heritage managers. Its main objectives are to increase resilience, reduce vulnerability and promote better and safer reconstruction in historic areas. The European Union funds the project under the Horizon 2020 Programme “Societal Challenges - Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials”.
The project’s progress was validated through 5 Open Labs representing the main environmental and climate challenges. In addition, a peer-learning study tour of stakeholders of the Sava River basin and the Dordrecht Open Labs was arranged.
Peer-learning study tour Phase I Flood Risk Management was hosted at the UNESCO Category II Centre, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. Participants learnt about river flood management in the Netherlands and discussed the solutions adopted to reduce flooding, achieve resilience goals and communicate with locals about flooding risk by the sea. A good example is the “Room for the River” project for rural and urban development for the lower and upper parts of the river Rijkswaterstaat. Sava River basin flood experts introduced their experience on the actual flooding risk in their area, explaining their work through the International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC).
Peer-learning study tour Phase II Cultural Heritage Protection focused on SHELTER and the open lab activities on flood protection. During a visit to the Municipality of Dordrecht, knowledge was acquired about how citizens cope with the flood alert system in place. In the heart of the Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout UNESCO World Heritage site, a lecture was given on the UNESCO Chair on Prevention and Sustainable Management of Geo-hydrological Hazard at Florence University and how the chair supports cultural heritage protection at an international and national level.
Protection of cultural heritage from floods is of paramount importance; it is the protection of our more profound identity in many coastal and riverine cities and landscapes. It is however a very complex task, as this heritage often contains some of the roots of the origin of risk and it also poses strong constraints to feasibility of most common flood defences.
The lecture engaged the participants from the Sava River Basin and the UNESCO World Heritage Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout in discussing how experts from different sectors can work together on disaster risk management. Detrimental effects from waters and the extraordinary impact on the water regime from the ISRBC are examples of the role of the Sava river basin culture protection experts in the SHELTER project. Since their engagement in 6-monthly stakeholder workshops, achieved thanks to the UNESCO Regional Bureau’s support, experts, with their advice, input and data on cultural assets shared are helping the ISRBC to improve the SAVA GIS platform.
During the study tour, participants learnt how the Kinderdijk Foundation manages and protects the outstanding value of the UNESCO World Heritage Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout.
Peer-learning study tour Phase III - Disaster Emergency Response included visiting the Zeeuws Museum in Zeeland. Discussion centred on the Museum managers’ and curators’ experiences after the recent flash floods that damaged the ground floor of the building and affected the usual opening to visitors. SAVA Open Lab emergency responders provided advice and shared their experiences.
The results of the SHELTER peer-learning study tour outperformed the expected results. With a common language, experts from different sectors found space - through site visits, lectures and discussions – to share knowledge and experience. The local Dutch experts reflected on managing flooding risk best and identifying highly technical solutions to address cultural heritage protection. On the other hand, the Sava River basin experts enthusiastically engaged in discussions on barriers, governance and solutions.
The community-based knowledge framework will bring scientific communities together and promote safer reconstruction in historic areas today and for future situations. The valuable outcomes and lessons learnt will be conveyed in the SHELTER project’s final results.
The need for networking between different sectors for the resilience strenghtening of cultural heritage against climate change and floods was heard many times. I consider such a study tour as strategic networking and capacity development event for experts from the Sava River Basin.