79763 Issue #5 April 2013 Projecthighlights Photo: Thinkstock.com Taktsang Monastery. Disaster Risk Management and Cultural Heritage in Bhutan International Conference on Disaster Management and Cultural Heritage (ICDMCH), Thimphu, Bhutan, December 12-14, 2012 Overview Challenges Many of Bhutan’s cultural heritage sites, such as In assessing the damage following the September dzongs (fortresses), monasteries, and stupas (relic 2009 earthquake, it became evident that, in many mounds), are today in active use virtually as they have places, local communities have adopted and used for centuries, constituting what is known as “living indigenous knowledge and traditions for centuries proven highly successful in disaster reduction and heritage.� Often, these heritage sites are restored on recovery. However, this indigenous knowledge and an ongoing basis using traditional skills and practices. tradition is often overlooked in disaster initiatives, This has helped Bhutan keep alive much of its original even at the international level, although cultural heritage and is the reason for its unique identity. values and traditions are the heart of the social fabric Preserving Bhutan’s unique heritage and rich cultural of local communities worldwide. values and practices has therefore become one of With globalization and emerging challenges, the four pillars of Gross National Happiness (GNH), many of our cultural traditions continue to fade and, in Bhutan’s guiding development philosophy. economic development efforts, are often marginalized. www.gfdrr.org Projecthighlights Left: Senior officials of the Royal Government of Bhutan led by His Excellency the Prime Minister of Bhutan, with representatives of international organizations (the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Office for Disater Risk Reduction (UNISDR).) Logo of the Conference, representing its theme and the four elements of nature: Earth, Water, Fire, and Air. Opening session during the conference. Students performing the Disaster Risk Reduction Song during the opening ceremony of the conference. And in the wake of disasters, they are at particular Results risk of being lost forever owing to tight reconstruction and The Conference highlighted the importance and challenges of restoration completion deadlines and limited skilled technical cultural heritage site management throughout disasters, and capacity to guide and monitor these works and architectural identified solutions. modifications. Having gained a general understanding of Bhutan’s main challenges and gaps in disaster management, the Global Approach Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) The Conference addressed the following key issues: and the World Bank (WB) mobilized grants in support of ■■ Assisting in closing a crucial gap by addressing how different activities to overcome them. To strengthen the to link existing international and national disaster institutional, legislative, and policy disaster management management initiatives with local cultural traditions, framework, the GFDRR/WB is also supporting the formulation knowledge, and values. of rules and regulations to support the implementation of the recently-enacted Disaster Management Act 2013. ■■ Taking stock of disaster management experiences The World Bank has also made available additional and know-how potentially applicable to the specific financial assistance for a national vulnerability assessment geographical and socio-cultural context of the Himalayan of Bhutan’s primary structural types, developing emergency region in general and Bhutan in particular. structural assessment capacity and improving general ■■ Bringing policymakers and practitioners together to knowledge of the seismic resilience of Bhutanese traditional formulate a practicable action plan. buildings. 2 ICDMCH proceedings were published and widely Action Plan Projecthighlights distributed to draw greater attention to and provide impetus The main programs envisaged are summarized below: for action to integrate cultural values and practices in disaster management. The Conference also drew world attention to 1. Detailed study and vulnerability assessment of vernacular Bhutan for the importance of its iconic cultural heritage. (non-engineered) housing and heritage sites in Bhutan Most significantly, it issued a call to the international and, to that end, the production of a vulnerability map community from the Royal Government of Bhutan to consider and development of architectural guidelines and building mainstreaming cultural values, practices, and heritage in codes for each of its regions. These guidelines are to global disaster management agendas and programs, preserving be developed taking account of each region’s specific fading traditional practices and wisdom, and resurrecting this typologies and unique features/traditions to prevent the knowledge for use in disaster management mechanisms and in loss of Bhutan’s diverse cultural heritage. addressing cultural heritage issues. The main output of this Conference is its Action Plan, 2. Development of damage assessment methods for traditional now in draft form. Its main aim is to promote the application structures, including historical/heritage buildings. of the major guiding principles and recommendations arising 3. Development of a technical intervention system from the Conference as specific and concise activities and for the repair, restoration, and retrofitting of these feasible and practicable programs for implementation by traditional structures as a further contribution to the relevant authorities and agencies in Bhutan. This Action Plan heritage building restoration guidelines. The technical will be used as guiding document in prioritizing the activities manual produced for effective repair and retrofitting of of the country’s 11th Five-Year Plan. traditional structures should take account of the typology Photo: The World Bank Photo: Thinkstock.com Punakha Dzong in Bhutan. Detail Dzong. Photo: Curt Carnemark / The World Bank Photo: Thinkstock.com Druk, Wanyal. Men walking in front of prayer flags. 3 Projecthighlights of traditional and vernacular building materials and their behavior in earthquakes and related disasters. 4. Preparation of comprehensive guidelines for restoring cultural heritage artifacts. Photo: Curt Carnemark /The World Bank 5. Establishment of a master craftsmen database and establishment and implementation of frameworks for training traditional construction craftsmen. Preparation of an appropriate training manual to strengthen local construction and design methods and ensure that local architectural heritage is not lost. 6. Integration of the roles of religious and spiritual bodies Thimphu, Bhutan. into each region’s general disaster recovery framework. This includes: Development Program (UNDP), the Government of Sweden ■■ A study of each region’s religious and spiritual (SIDA), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and bodies and how they could be available during Cultural Organization (UNESCO). disasters. Identification of key spiritual agencies and their roles. Next Steps ■■ Discussions with stakeholders to establish Having realized the vulnerability of the cultural heritage frameworks for the integration of these spiritual sites, the Royal Government of Bhutan has underscored bodies into the general disaster recovery framework. the importance of integrating disaster risk management 7. Establishment of a strategy for the inclusion and in development planning, focusing especially on cultural mobilization of religious institutions, the media, and heritage. Initiatives have been launched to assess the risk the private sector to disseminate information and raise to much of the country’s traditional architecture and to its awareness of traditional knowledge for disaster risk iconic structures. reduction and cultural heritage protection. The Government is also seeking technical and financial assistance from all development partners, including the 8. A study of local traditional disaster management World Bank and GFDRR, to support this strategy. practices. Incorporation of local knowledge systems in the disaster risk management process. Lessons Learned 9. Development of compensation policies and criteria A strong institutional basis for disaster management and and identification and establishment of funding and cultural heritage protection requires inter-ministerial, cross- compensation mechanisms. sector, and multi-stakeholder mechanisms, complemented 10. Establishment of ways and means to provide easy access by clear and formalized operating procedures and to networking information. implementation measures. The protection of cultural heritage should be promoted for its intrinsic historical or artistic value, the fundamental spiritual and psychosocial support Partners and sense of belonging it affords communities during the Partners include the World Bank, with funding assistance disaster recovery phase, and its contribution to building from the GFDRR, the United Nations International Strategy resilience to disasters—of increasing frequency and intensity, for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), the United Nations and adapting to climate change. Disclaimer: The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, The World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other informa- tion shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries.