November 23rd, 2015 – A workshop to deal with natural disasters has just come to an end in Valletta, at the Hall of the Italian Cultural Institute. ” Models for interdisciplinary training on Disaster Risk Reduction for Unesco World Heritage sites in South-East Europe Mediterranean countries” was organized by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, which is based in Venice, and the UNESCO National Commission of Malta. Numerous institutions collaborated, including the National Research Council, the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Heritage Malta and the University of Malta. “The training workshop – reads a statement – was inspired by the belief that natural risks, including the effects of climate change, are increasingly affecting the lives of people and our shared heritage, triggering growing concern among the international community.” In Valletta, the workshop brought together, November 14-19, experts on heritage and site managers in the Mediterranean and South-East Europe registered in the World Heritage List. The participants from Malta, Albania, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro and Turkey were presented with the principles of risk reduction in disaster management plans of World Heritage sites. The experts presented opinions, methods and tools currently available to identify, assess and manage multiple risks related to natural disasters and preventive measures to mitigate their impact on UNESCO sites. (Red)
