PROCULTHER-NET Project. Technical Bulletin N. 5, July 2025

The fifth edition of the PROCULTHER-NET 2 Technical Bulletin collects a new series of case studies on the latest developments and initiatives in protecting cultural heritage from disasters. How can we reduce risks and improve preparedness for increasingly frequent increasingly frequent and diverse natural and human-induced hazards?

Drawing on experiences gained in managing the impact of disasters on cultural heritage, this Technical Bulletin seeks to answer this question by presenting examples of training initiatives and field exercises at both European and national levels, the sustainable funding of preparedness actions, the transfer of specialised expertise developed during real emergencies, and the shaping of approaches and strategies to manage risks at international, national, and local levels.

This Technical Bulletin opens with the PREPAREDNESS section, featuring two examples of full-scale exercises. This training format typically concludes a preparatory phase before a new cycle begins, based on the insights gained from the exercise. The Italian Civil Protection Department (DPC) brings us the description of a European MODEX that took place in Venice last autumn. It was the first-ever Union Civil Protection Mechanism exercise to include a specific cultural heritage module and to feature two Cultural Heritage Advisors in the European Union Civil Protection Team.

The second example is a national exercise organised by the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) and the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) as part of the KulturGutRetter project. The aim was to test the operational readiness of the Cultural Heritage Response Unit (CHRU) – which subsequently sent a skeleton team to participate in the MODEX in Venice.

The last article of this section addresses a critical issue for cultural organisations of all sizes: the funding of preparedness measures. The German Coordination Office for the Preservation of Written Cultural Heritage (KEK) provides an example of a funding mechanism dedicated to emergency preparedness, enabling cultural organisations to acquire supplies and expertise.

The years 2023 and 2024, with new temperature records being broken in several parts of Europe, were marked by several catastrophic event whose impact on people and their heritage is becoming increasingly apparent.

In the RESPONSE section, first-hand accounts from the teams who provided emergency assistance to cultural heritage sites during three major crises are presented.

In a related article, experts from the Valencian Institute of Conservation, Restoration and Research (IVCR+i) recount their experience of rescuing collections, library and archive materials in the region of Valencia following severe rainfall and flooding caused by the DANA in October 2024.

A second article from Valencia, focused on recovery, will be included in the sixth issue. A contribution from Blue Shield France (BSF) provides an on-the-ground report on the coordinated action undertaken with the French civil protection service in the aftermath of Cyclone Chido, which hit the island of Mayotte in December 2024.

Finally, reflecting on the floods that struck Emilia-Romagna, Marche, and Tuscany in 2023, a team of conservators from the Opificio Delle Pietre Dure (OPD) and the Central Library of Florence provides a detailed analysis of the shortcomings that hindered the response efforts and the vital role of community involvement.

The final section of the Technical Bulletin, FOCUS ON, emphasises the importance of adopting inclusive and comprehensive approaches when addressing risks to cultural heritage. UNESCO details the central findings of its holistic approach to fire risks, as set out in its recently published Fire Risk Management Guide for Cultural and Natural Heritage and draws on case studies from a conference held in Valparaíso in 2024.

The last two articles offer different perspectives - national and local - on establishing an operational and legal framework for the protection of cultural heritage in emergencies. The national strategy is presented by the National Institute of Heritage in Romania, while the local approach is shared by a civil protection expert from Hungary. Both contributions highlight the relevance of having a shared reference framework and tools, such as those proposed by the PROCULTHER initiatives.