Prioritise protection of cultural heritage when preparing disaster management plans and procedures. Moreover, disasters managers should capitalize on tangible and intangible cultural heritage to assist communities in becoming more resilience

Cultural heritage can be better protected from disasters, while contributing to the resilience of societies, by integrating it into current disaster reduction policies. Cultural heritage is vulnerable to the adverse impacts of natural disasters, and climate change is adding to the urgency of addressing this challenge. Lack of maintenance and the loss of traditional knowledge have increased the vulnerability of cultural heritage assets in many regions of the world. Which is why it is important to include the protection of cultural heritage (both tangible and intangible) in disaster preparedness protocols and guidelines. It is also important to use cultural heritage (e.g. traditional building techniques) to enhance the resilience of communities to disasters.

Stakeholders: Policy Makers, Disaster Managers

Disaster Phases: Preparedness, Response, Recovery

Types of Actors Concerned: Non-active citizens, Local authorities, Law enforcement agencies

Hazards: Natural hazards, Man-made non-intentional hazards or emergency situations, Man-made intentional hazards

Cultural Map Entries:

• Protection of cultural heritage in disaster contexts

• Prioritizing built environment policies as a prevention tool

• Protecting cultural heritage as a disaster management tool

• Strengthening local practices by assessing local knowledge