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 .
One of the project’s key achievements was the creation of a national network of experts from both sectors, fostering mutual knowledge of roles, responsibilities, and operational capacities. This collaboration led to the development of an Action Plan for 2025–2027, which sets out joint training priorities, field procedures, and steps for integrating cultural heritage protection into national disaster risk reduction systems.
A shared operational language is essential — without it, cooperation breaks down at the very moment it’s most needed.
The project’s training programme combined lectures, workshops, and a national simulation exercise in Zagreb, Sisak, and Petrinja. Participants, grouped into mixed teams of civil protection personnel and cultural heritage professionals, worked together to safeguard heritage items under simulated emergency conditions. The exercise highlighted the importance of building trust and familiarity before a crisis occurs, enabling more effective cooperation when emergencies arise.
Since the project’s completion, cooperation between the sectors has continued through a series of intersectoral workshops and exercises, including:
The project also produced the Emergency Response & Salvage Wheel, a practical reference tool distributed to conservation departments and local civil protection units, now in active use during training and exercises.
Importantly, the benefits of the project have already been seen in real-world emergencies. Alumni of the training were involved in protecting the Church of St. Quirinus during the Učka fire, safeguarding sites on the island of Čiovo and in Orebić and supporting post-earthquake recovery at the Rector’s Palace bell tower in Pag. These interventions demonstrated how joint training and established relationships can translate into rapid, coordinated action to protect cultural heritage in times of crisis.
EU-level support allowed us to test a training model that we believe can be adapted to different national contexts
Beyond Croatia
The CPforHeritage approach is seen as relevant well beyond Croatia’s borders. Its structure—combining lectures, workshops, and simulation exercises—offers both technical training and a practical setting in which cross-sectoral cooperation can be tested. Because the format is adaptable, it could be transferred to other Member States and tailored to their specific risks and heritage contexts.
For replication elsewhere, several factors are considered essential:
Among its tangible outputs, CPforHeritage developed Guidelines for Standard Operating Procedures. Together with the national Action Plan, these resources are intended to ensure that cooperation continues, systems are strengthened, and practices are aligned with wider European efforts.