Europe’s cultural heritage is increasingly threatened by natural hazards, extreme weather events, conflict, and other crises—risks that are being intensified by climate change. Many EU Member States have expressed concerns about a lack of preparedness to address these challenges alone.
In response, 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.
The READY project, a TRACK 1 project, is co-funded by the EU’s Creative Europe programme with €1.5 million over three years. It is implemented by the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), with the involvement of 18 technical partners from 13 countries. The project aims to enhance disaster risk mitigation and emergency preparedness at heritage sites and institutions, improve early warning and early action for heritage and associated communities, and promote cross-sector cooperation between cultural ministries, heritage institutions, disaster risk authorities, and environmental agencies.
Knowing is caring communities aware of their heritage’s vulnerabilities are more likely to safeguard it.
Collaborative and community-based approaches
Local communities are also involved, to increase awareness of cultural heritage vulnerabilities and to encourage participation in safeguarding measures. In many cases, community members are among the first to arrive after a crisis, making their training and inclusion in response efforts relevant for effective risk management.
Over its three-year duration, READY will train up to 75 professionals, using a “train the trainers” approach intended to enable participants to share knowledge within their institutions and communities. The project aligns with broader efforts to integrate cultural heritage into disaster risk management and climate change policies, including the EU Preparedness Union Strategy.
Cultural heritage is not merely a passive victim of disaster—it is an active agent within the system.
The first training cycle, Track 1, brought together participants from across Europe, including civil protection officers, museum directors, conservators, and cultural policy specialists. Many participants noted that they were able to apply lessons even before completing the course. One conservator in Estonia said that they were able to adapt their museum’s risk management planning during the online training phase, while others have already initiated discussions in their institutions about building cooperative networks with emergency services. As one participant from Latvia put it, the training “activated the creation of a cooperation network and the restoration of broken ties” in her country. For others, it was “a wake-up call” to the potential for stronger European coordination in protecting cultural assets.
The programme’s practical focus has encouraged concrete initiatives. A museum head in Bosnia and Herzegovina plans to create a cultural heritage first aid team, while in Armenia, new preparedness tools are being introduced across the museum sector. Others are working on projects ranging from safeguarding intangible traditions to improving fire prevention in archives.
Following the training, a series of participant-led projects will be implemented across Europe over the next six months, building on the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) First Aid and Resilience (FAR) methodology. These initiatives aim to translate the course’s lessons into practical measures for reducing risks, improving preparedness, and enhancing emergency response for both movable and intangible cultural heritage. Projects will be adapted to local contexts, encouraging stronger cross-sectoral collaboration and community participation.
Integrating cultural heritage protection into national and EU emergency planning and response strategies remain a stated objective, with the aim of supporting resilience and recovery in the event of disasters.