PROGRAMME

Sub-regional Workshop

Managing Disaster Risks in

UNESCO Designated Sites

M o s t a r , B o s n i a a n d H e r z e g o vi n a
10-13 October 2016

With the support of the City of Mostar and of the

National Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina for UNESCO
Rationale
Natural hazards, including the effects of climate change, are increasing their impacts on the life of
people as well as on our valued heritage resources. The same applies to human-induced or
anthropogenic hazards, either intentional on unintentional, that are posing serious threats on the
shared cultural and natural heritage of humanity.
Disasters do happen, and while most cannot be avoided, preparatory measures can mitigate or
effectively reduce their impacts. At the same time, investing in risk preparedness can avoid spending
large sums of money in post disaster recovery stage. Furthermore, it has been recognised through
experience that the heritage itself can contribute towards reducing the effects of disasters in various
ways. For example, traditional knowledge systems, embodied in physical planning and construction,
can be useful for mitigation purposes, as can local water and land management systems and
ecological solutions, which not only prevent or mitigate the impact of disasters, but also provide
coping mechanisms to deal with post-disaster situations. Cultural properties have also proved to
serve as safe havens for surrounding communities for their temporary relocation during
emergencies.
The World Heritage Committee, in particular, has adopted in 2007 a Strategy for Reducing Risks
from Disasters at World Heritage Properties which encourages all States Parties to develop disaster
risk management plans for the World Heritage properties in their respective countries. Moreover, the
newly internationally endorsed Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, clearly
emphasizes the importance to reduce disaster risk in cultural and natural heritage sites.
Finally, cultural and natural heritages constitute in several cases socio-economic assets and
ecosystems of paramount importance for the wellbeing and survival of local communities and people,
whose resilience should be strengthened in a comprehensive fashion with the sites at stake.
Nevertheless, disaster risk management is still at a preliminary stage among heritage site managers
and governance bodies. In line with the above, the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and
Culture in Europe is proposing a training workshop aimed at bringing together site managing
authorities, emergency responders and other relevant stakeholders related to World Heritage
properties and Biosphere reserves from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia, in order
to introduce disaster risk reduction principles in site management plans and improve cooperation
between site managers and civil protection authorities. Special attention will be drawn on the
necessary adjustments of the relevant legal, institutional and policy frameworks, in order to enable
the application of disaster risk reduction principles within the concerned sites.
The workshop will apply a participatory methodology based upon the UNESCO World Heritage
Resource Manual: Managing Disaster Risks for World Heritage (2010). Special focus will be devoted
to geohazards risk preparedness, with particular emphasis on landslides, seismic events, floods,
and wild fires, through the participation of an interdisciplinary team of highly qualified international
resource persons.

Objectives
 To raise the awareness and understanding among relevant stakeholders of the principles of
disaster risk management
 To build stakeholders’ capacities in order to elaborate and integrate risk management plans in
the governance of UNESCO designated sites

Sub-regional Workshop on Managing Disaster Risk in UNESCO Designated Sites

Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 10-13 October 2016 (page 2)
Scope and Methodology
The workshop intends to bring together site managing bodies and emergency responders from the
beneficiary countries in order to provide them with knowledge on current thinking, methods and tools
available for identifying, assessing and managing multiple natural-derived risks and preparatory
measures to mitigate their impact and damages both at human and material levels in the UNESCO
designated sites (World Heritage properties and Biosphere Reserves).
The methodology to be used is based upon the World Heritage Manual on disaster risk management.
Using the Manual and analysing the specific context of the selected sites, a broader framework will
be developed through an interdisciplinary approach.
The programme will mix in-class and in-field exercises, using the World Heritage property the Old
Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar as a case-study for group work. In addition, a specific session
will be dedicated to simulation exercises on the participants’ sites; accordingly, each participant is
kindly invited to prepare in advance an informal assessment of risk preparedness and existing risk
reduction measures in place at her/his site of competence, in order to present it and develop it based
on the knowledge gathered during the workshop.

Target audience
- Representatives of site managing bodies of World Heritage properties and Biosphere Reserves
from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia;
- Representatives of relevant emergency responders / civil protection agencies, at both local and
central levels;
- World Heritage and MAB focal points from the three beneficiary countries.

Dates and venue

The workshop will take place from 10 to 12 October 2016 at Hotel Mostar, Kneza Domagoja b.b.,
88.000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, http://www.hotelmostar.ba/
The last session, on 13 October, will take place at the Mostar City of Hall, Hrvatskih branitelja br.
2., Mostar (app 300 m away from the hotel).

Contact persons
On content-related matters:
Mr. Siniša Šešum, Head of Office, Antenna Office in Sarajevo, UNESCO Regional Bureau for
Science and Culture in Europe / Tel:+387 33 222 796, Email: s.sesum@unesco.org
On travel and accommodation:
Ms. Lejla Hrelja, Programme Assistant, Antenna Office in Sarajevo, UNESCO Regional Bureau for
Science and Culture in Europe / Tel.: +387 33 222 796; Email: l.hrelja@unesco.org
Ms. Maja Nikolic, Secretary/Assistant, Antenna Office in Sarajevo, UNESCO Regional Bureau for
Science and Culture in Europe / Tel.: +387 33 222 796; Email: m.nikolic@unesco.org

Sub-regional Workshop on Managing Disaster Risk in UNESCO Designated Sites

Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 10-13 October 2016 (page 3)
 AGENDA
9 October

Arrival of participants.
Accommodation at Hotel Mostar, Mostar Kneza Domagoja b.b., 88.000 Mostar, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, http://www.hotelmostar.ba/

Day 1 10 October (Monday)

Session 1: introduction to the topics

9.00 Registration

Opening speeches:
 Sinisa Sesum, Head of the Sarajevo Antenna of the UNESCO Regional
Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe
9.30
 Biljana Camur-Veselinovic, Assistant Minister for Science and Culture,
Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Mr Ljubo Beslic, Mayor of Mostar

10:15 Introduction to the workshop: programme, participants, methodology

10:30 Break

10:45 Natural Hazards and Risks in Bosnia and Herzegovina, UDP Irena Kulenovic

Case Study Presentation: the Old Bridge Area of the Old city of Mostar: main
features, criteria for inscription, relevant hazards, and current risk management
11:15
policy (Old City Agency, responsible for the management of the Old Bridge
Area of the Old City of Mostar)
Presentation by the participants of the major risks and hazards related to their
12.00
sites

13:00 Lunch

Presentation by the participants of the major risks and hazards related to their
14:00
sites (second part)
Introducing key concepts and principles for disaster risk management at
15:00 heritage sites: conceptual framework and terminology (Rohit Jigyasu, President
ICOMOS-ICORP)

Sub-regional Workshop on Managing Disaster Risk in UNESCO Designated Sites

Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 10-13 October 2016 (page 4)
15:45 Break
Introducing key concepts on geo-hydrological hazards in cultural and natural
16:00 sites (Sandro Moretti, UNESCO Chair on the Prevention and Sustainable
Management of Geo-hydrological Hazards, University of Florence)
16:45 Discussion

17:00 End of Day 1 work

Day 2 11 October (Tuesday)

Session 2: disaster risk management in the field

09:00 Recap and introduction to the second day
Introducing key concepts on seismic hazards in cultural and natural sites
09:30 (Mihail GAREVSKI, Director, Institute of Earthquake Engineering and
Engineering Seismology, "Ss. Cyril and Methodius" University, Skopje)
Introducing key concepts on fire hazard in cultural and natural sites
10:15
(Cristopher Marrion, Fire Strategist)

11:00 Break

Planning disaster risks reduction in UNESCO designated sites: main principles

and practices on how to prepare disaster risk management segment of a
11:30 management plan
(Rohit Jigyasu / Cristopher Marrion)

13:00 Lunch

14:00 Field session at the Old Bridge Area and Old city of Mostar

18:00 End of Day 2 work

Day 3 12 October (Wednesday)

Team Work
09:00 Recap and introduction to the third day

Developing a disaster scenario and mitigation measures: key concepts and

09:30
introduction to the exercise

Sub-regional Workshop on Managing Disaster Risk in UNESCO Designated Sites

Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 10-13 October 2016 (page 5)
 (Rohit Jigyasu / Cristopher Marrion)

10:30 Break

Exercise: identifying mitigation and preparedness measures and emergency

11:00
response in relation to the identified disaster risks at the participants’ sites

13:00 Lunch

14:00 Exercise (continuation)

16:00 Presentation of conclusions and discussion

17:00 End of Day 3 work

Day 4 13 October (Thursday)

Session 4: Team work and conclusions

09:00 Recap of previous days

Exercise: integrating risk mitigation, preparedness and emergency response in

09:30
site management plans

11:00 Break

11.15 Exercise (continuation)

12:30 Presentation of conclusions and priorities for future action

14.00 End of workshop

13.00 Lunch

14.00 Departure of participants

Sub-regional Workshop on Managing Disaster Risk in UNESCO Designated Sites

Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 10-13 October 2016 (page 6)