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Integrating cultural heritage into disaster risk management

In April 2019, a fire severely damaged the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, a stark reminder that even the most iconic European landmarks are vulnerable to disaster. Similar risks to heritage were seen when floods hit Venice in 2019 and Valencia in 2024, earthquakes damaged historical sites in Türkiye and Greece, wildfires threatened heritage areas across Southern Europe, and conflicts endangered museums and monuments in Ukraine.

These disasters show that cultural heritage, including historical sites, museums, archives, and intangible cultural traditions, require dedicated protection measures during crises. Losses to cultural heritage affect not only physical structures but also communities’ shared history and identity.

In recent years, efforts across Europe are reflecting this understanding. Cultural heritage is gradually being integrated into civil protection frameworks, backed by policy advances, technical guidance, and cross-sectoral cooperation.

Several EU-funded and international initiatives are contributing to this shift, including PROCULTHER-NET, the READY project, the Türkiye risk reduction guide, CPforHeritage in Croatia, and UNESCO’s Tsunami Ready programme. Each offers practical examples of how cultural heritage protection can be strengthened in emergencies through training, cooperation, and community engagement, using the different funding sources available at EU level.

As the world marks the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2025 under the theme “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters,” these initiatives stand as a reminder that preparedness is the most effective investment. Funding resilience today helps protect both people and the cultural heritage that binds communities together. 

 

Cultural heritage training

PROCULTHER-NET: Building a European methodology for crisis response

PROCULTHER-NET and its successor, PROCULTHER-NET 2, are EU projects co-financed under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism. They build on the original PROCULTHER initiative, working to embed cultural heritage protection into civil protection systems. The projects promote recognition of heritage at risk within the disaster management sector and develop practical tools to strengthen coordination between cultural heritage and civil protection actors.
READY CH training

READY – Cross-Sector training for cultural heritage protection

Europe’s cultural heritage faces growing threats from natural hazards, extreme weather, conflict, and other crises—pressures made worse by climate change. To help address these risks, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) launched READY – Safeguarding Cultural Heritage from Disasters, Extreme Weather Events, and Complex Emergencies – a Track 1 project designed to strengthen preparedness and resilience across Europe
fairy chimneys

Türkiye: Developing a climate risk reduction guide for Heritage sites

In Türkiye’s Cappadocia region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famed for its fairy chimneys and rock-hewn churches, an EU-supported initiative is developing a framework to protect cultural assets from climate-related hazards. The project—Preparation of Risk Reduction Guide for Disasters Due to Climate Change in Cultural Heritage Sites of Türkiye and a Model Implementation—is a Technical Assistance for Disaster Risk Management (Track 1) project that will deliver a national guide integrating cultural heritage into disaster risk management and climate adaptation planning.
Norcia, main square,

CPforHeritage – Cooperation for heritage protection in Croatia

The CPforHeritage project in Croatia, co funded by the UCPM grants under the Technical Assistance for Disaster Risk Management (Track 1), set out to improve cooperation between the civil protection sector and cultural heritage authorities, recognising that protecting heritage during emergencies requires shared understanding, coordinated planning, and practical skills .