An Overview of Risk Preparedness and UNESCO. Davide Poletto, Assistant Programme Specialist, Science Unit - UNESCO Venice Office

1. An Overview of Risk
Preparedness & UNESCO
ONE UN Project “Building Capacity in Natural
Risk Preparedness for Cultural Heritage
Sites in Albania”. Tirana, Albania
Dr. D. Poletto UNESCO Venice Office d.poletto@unesco.org

2. Risks and Disasters
As pointed out by the :
2009 global assessment
report on disaster risk
reduction
the number of disasters around the
world increases … along with its risk
which may be considered as a
combination of (natural-human induced)
hazards and scarce resilience of human
and natural environments to cope with
them.

3. Stresses and Multiplier
Risk Factors
Hazards have always stalked mankind
however, disaster vulnerability have
increased due to societal “tectonic stresses”
and “multiplier factors” (T.O.Dixon 2007):
a. tectonic stresses are mainly determined by
an intertwined relation between
natural/human settings:
1.Population stress: population growth (doubling
of world population in the past 40 years) and
geogr. divide and megacities growth in DC
(quintupling of urban popolation);
2.Environmental stress from human induced
transformation in the biosphere (land, waters
etc.) including atmosphere and climate change;

4. Stresses and Multiplier
Risk Factors
3. Energy stress (depletion of oil based
sources);
4. Economic stress resulting from instabilities in
global economic system and the ever
widening social polarisation.
b. Multiplier risk factors are making Hazards
more severe and widespreading in
their impact…
The globe has become a “single operational
unit” in which human kind is acting as a
physical force in the natural system of the
planet due to the global connectivity of our
activities….therefore, hazards that once
would have been local shocks now may
effect whole regions if not the whole
planet!

5. Reduction of
vulnerability is possible?
UNESCO is strongly committed to
Hyogo Framework for Action
2005-2015 adopted at the 2005
Kobe World Conference on
Disaster Reduction.
Cost/benefit analysis demonstrates that reduction
of vulnerability is possible and convenient (1$
invested in disaster preparedness and mitigation
will prevent 4 to 8 $ in disaster losses). However
governments are refrained to invest to prevent
something uncertain

6. UN ISDR Platform
UNESCO works in team (UNDP-UNEP-
UNICEF-UNHabitat-WMO-WHO-FAO-
IAEA-WB group) in the frame of the
international strategy for disaster
reduction (ISDR) 4 objectives:
- Increase public awareness to understand risk,
vulnerability and disaster reduction globally;
- Obtain commitment from public authorities to
implement disaster reduction policies and
actions;
-Stimulate interdisciplinary and intersectoral
partnerships, including the expansion of risks
reduction networks;
-Improve scientific knowledge about disaster
reduction.

7. UNESCO DDR Strategy
into Education
The Hyogo framework for Action: building the
resilience of communities and Nations to
Disasters (HFA) designates priority 3: use of
knowledge innovation and education to build a
culture of safety and resilience;
Disaster prevention and preparedness has
been included in EDS, as a part of promoting
edu and awareness to reduce disasters.
Work to integrate the disaster risk reduction into
edu curricula in realizing target 2 MDG on
achieving universal primary school (adhered to
the world campaign on disaster reduction
Disaster reduction begins at school”.

8. Education and Public
Awareness
To seek political commitment in integrating
disaster risk reduction (DDR) into education
curricula, school construction and education
sector plans;
To highlight the role and contribution of local
communalities in particular women as well as
local authorities and implementing partners in
the educational process;
To launch pivotal initiative, identify good
practices and identify national champions in
integrating disaster risk reduction into school
curricula and in developing school safety
programmes.

9. Natural Hazards
Major natural hazards which major damage to
human properties and lives losses :
Earthquakes: 50.000 occur on average every
year. Cities and megacities around the world
have major earthquake default.
Tsunami: 2004 Indian Ocean 240.000 people
killed;
Floods: among the most frequent and deadly of
natural phenomena (affecting 520 million people
a year) also in relation to tropical hurricanes
souring

10. Education and Public
Awareness
The best science and technology in the
world are of little value unless they can be
turned into effective disaster warnings
that ordinary people can understand.
People, communities can build a culture of resilience to
natural by been taught how to defend themselves.
It turns to dramatically reduce casualties and loss of
livelihood when disaster strikes. Educational and
communication aspects of disaster mitigation such as the
preparation of an information kit for the media, teaching
material Disaster risk reduction begins at school.

11. Risk and UNESCO
Designated Sites

12. Protecting cultural heritage
Hosting the secretariat of the World Heritage
Convention, UNESCO has been strongly
involved, along with its three advisory bodies
of the Convention, in risk assessment and
rescue operations to protect monuments and
urban historic centers, sites etc.
- risk assessment
- rescue and safeguard operations (Cuzco,
Florence, Venice, Bam (Iran), etc.
- manuals : a strategy for reducing risks at the WH
properties

13. Protecting cultural heritage
Despite Cultural and natural properties are
increasingly affected by hazardous events, the
number of WH properties that have developed
a risk reduction plan is very low:
-More focus is devoted to visible stress on the
properties (mass tourism, estate speculation etc).
- vulnerability is invisible until manifested through
the happening of hazardous events.
-General ideas upon which catastrophic event are
beyond human control.

14. Protecting cultural heritage
The impact of disasters in WHS may be
of great relevance as may hinder:
their “outstanding universal value” and
undermine the peculiar character and
function which apply to the criteria defined
in the Operational Guidelines for the
implementation of the WH Convention to
be enlisted.
Pose risks to local communities lives and livelihoods dwelling
the site, threat visitors security, undermine local economy
and tourism.

15. DRM and HERITAGE
DRM should:
•aim to prevent or reduce the impacts of disaster on WH
properties and to human lives and livelihoods;
•secure resilience to the core value upon which the
property was inscribed on the WH List. This should be the
driving element to risk plans development;
•consider also the creeping vulnerability factor (lack of
maintenance, deterioration etc.) which may turn an
hazardous event into a full fledge disaster;
•play a role also in the buffer zones of the WHP according
to the surrounding urban and env.al environment.

16. Challenges
•Lack of coordination between a given WH site
management systems (including a siteDRM-if
any) and the disaster management machinery of
the nation and region in which the property is
located;
•Stand alone plans- single issues oriented versus
larger scale disaster risk reduction plans;
•Poor-No risk assessment which should
encompass natural, human, logistic and
infrastructural, economic settings of a given site;
•No updated inventory of the cultural heritage
sites of its movable and immovable components
and related location…

17. ONE UN ALBANIA
When the UN Secretary General launched
Delivering as ONE in 2007, Albania, among
other 7 countries, volunteered to become a
testing ground for the implementation of a
reformed UN system agency on field.
This underpins an integrated framework of
action based on : One UN programme Albania
focused on better support the country to achieve
its strategic goals as expressed by key political
documents and the UN Development Assistance
Framework (UNDAF) – 2006-2010.

18. ONE Programme
Framework
UNDAF pursue 5 priorities along with the
encompassing principles of gender equality
and development of national capacity:
-More transparent and accountable governance;
-Greater inclusive participation in decision making;
-More equitable access to quality basic services;
-Regional development to reduce regional disparities;
-Environmentally sustainable development.

19. ONE Budgetary Framework
ONE UN coherence fund provides a clear
image of sources allocated or fund gaping for
the implementation of the programme
framework.
Donors are encouraged to commit multi-year funding to this
single financial pool which should be the financial hand to
implement the strategic priorities by the one UN programme
as jointly determined by Government, UN Resident
Coordinator and participating agencies.

20. ONE Leader
The One UN programme is implemented in
a collaborative manner through a joint
executive committee chaired by the
Director of the Department of strategy and
donor coordination and the ONE UN
Resident Coordinator.
They both allocate the ONE UN Coherence
Fund according to the priorities decided also
with the participating agency.

21. ONE House
Under Construction…

22. Project Consistency
The project has to be considered an activity in
line with the following Regional and National
actions:
1. REGIONAL
The Disaster Preparedness and Prevention initiative for SEE
(DPPI) developed by the Regional Cooperation Council
(RCC)- 10 signatories countries including Albania.
Proposed WMO-UNDP initiative of building capacity in
Disaster Risk reduction through Regional Cooperation and
Collaboration in SEE (2009-2010) aimed at increasing
regional disaster risk reduction cooperation in Western
Balkans and harmonisation of methodologies, plans and
strategies at regional scale.

23. Project Consistency
2. NATIONAL
Albania has been beneficiary of relevant projects devoted to
Disaster Preparedness and Management:
-Disaster Management and Emergency Preparedness
(DMEP, 2002-2005). UNDP implementing project aimed at
reducing the disaster risks faced by the vulnerable
populations in Albania by strengthening the national disaster
management system at different levels;
- Disaster Risk Mitigation and Adaptation Project (AL-
DRMAP): consolidate national based capacity to plan for
mitigate and respond to disasters and the approval of a
comprehensive countrywide disaster risk reduction and
adaptation strategy

24. Cultural and educational needs
There are still important needs to be
met both at cultural and educational
level, by working side by side under the
ONE UN Albania thought technical
cooperation.
The project in Natural Risk preparedness and Mitigation in
cultural and UNESCO designated sites is an attempt of
UNESCO to launch a new season of cooperation in Albania
on these sensitive issue area.
Considerable amount of work has also to be likely put in
awareness campaign to educate young people, and the
public of Albania at large on natural risk preparedness,
although not in the immediate focus of this project.

25. OBJECTIVES
Albeit Albania is vulnerable to the most
typologies of hazards as stressed out by the
seismicity map in Europe [EC-DG Environment
July 2003], the importance of seismic activity
in SEE is concentrated in Albania, Greece,
Turkey and Southern Italy.
Proceeding from this, and according to the government of
Albania priorities, the project is conceived to assist the
country to achieve:
Update understanding and raise awareness of seismologic
vulnerability in particular and natural hazards affecting
Albania in general, among national officers and site
managers and local authorities
Capacity building in the field of risk mitigation and
preparedness for Cultural Heritage properties in cooperation
with WHC and ICCROM.

26. FORESEEN ACTIVITIES
1. Risk assessment and Awareness
Raising [on going to be completed in ….]:
-It is an interdisciplinary activity conducted by
interfacing seismology and cultural heritage
knowledge based disciplines devoted to take
stoke of the existing data, maps and
assessment report;
- This will help elaborate specific guidelines
and recommendations tailored on the
Seismologic Risk threatening Cultural Heritage
Sites and properties in Albania.

27. FORESEEN ACTIVITIES
2. Training on Site Managers:
This will be designed, planned and conducted
in collaboration with ICCROM and the WHC
and will aimed at:
-Illustrating the core principles of Disaster Risk
Management (DMR) for heritage and the applied
methodology to identify, assess and mitigate
disaster risk;
-To train sensitive stakeholders and site managers
in to reduce risks to the cultural heritage
properties;
- teaching in a demonstrative way how to prepare
a DRM plan in cultural heritage properties (WHS).

28. FORESEEN ACTIVITIES
3. Regional Workshop in Tirana:
It will be a conclusive milestone conceived to
share the results achieved with the regional
epistemic communities, stakeholders and
governmental officers interested in risk
disaster preparedness in Cultural Sites at
Regional/international level.
Particular focus will be devoted to promote the
integration of DRM in the WHS and its following
integration in regional/national disasters
management strategies and plans.

29. Dr. Davide Poletto
Assistant Programme Specialist
Science Unit
UNESCO Venice Office
Htt://www.unesco.org/venice
Tel: + 39 (041) 260.15.26
Email: d.poletto@unesco.org