World Heritage Earthen Architecture Programme
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Earthen architecture is one of the most original and powerful expressions of our human ability to create and build environment with nearby available resources. It includes a great variety of building types and groups, ranging from mosques, palaces and granaries to historic city centres, cultural landscapes, and archaeological sites. Its cultural importance throughout the world is evident and has led to its consideration as a common heritage of humankind, and therefore deserving protection and conservation by the international community. In 2007, 106 out of 660 cultural properties inscribed on the World Heritage List incorporate earthen structures. Thanks to the materials’ availability and economic quality, it bears great potential to contribute to poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
However, increasingly threatened by natural and human impacts (e.g. floods and earthquakes, industrialization, urbanization, modern building technologies, disappearance of traditional conservation practices, etc.) earthen structures deserve our particular attention in terms of conservation and maintenance to brave these forces; tellingly, about ¼ of the sites inscribed on the World Heritage List in Danger are earthen sites.
The World Heritage Programme on Earthen Architecture aims for the improvement of the state of conservation and management of earthen architecture sites worldwide. Pilot projects on earthen architectural sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, or included in States Parties’ Tentative Lists, will help identify best practices and set examples for the development and dissemination of appropriate methods and techniques in conservation, management, and capacity building. Scientific research will further the endeavor to ameliorate know-how in the filed. Expected outputs include a better understanding of the problems facing earthen architecture, the development of policies favoring its conservation, the definition of practical guidelines and the organization of training and awareness activities, particularly in local communities through workshops, exhibitions, conferences and technical publications to raise the recognition of earthen architecture, as well as the creation of an active global network for the exchange of information and experience.
At its 31st session (New Zealand, 2007), the World Heritage Committee approved the initiation of the integrated World Heritage Programme on Earthen Architecture (2007-2017) (decision 31 COM 21C, working document 31 COM 21C). Donors and States Parties have been invited to provide financial support for the implementation of the activities, structured in four phases and progressively expanding over the globe. The preparatory phase concludes in 2008, and is followed by a pilot phase in Africa and the Arab States through 2010. Consolidation will ensue (2011-2014) in Latin America and Central Asia, followed by a final phase from 2015-2017 in Europe and Asia. The Committee endorsed the progressive shift of the programme management to the regions after the first four years to ensure and optimize global cooperation and input.
A consultation meeting of renowned international experts in earthen architecture conservation was held in November 2007 at UNESCO Headquarters, and developed final substantial orientations for the operational framework and the programme strategy. The Porgramme was officially launched on the occasion of Terra 2008, the 10th International Conference on the study and conservation of earthen Architecture (1-5 February 2008, Bamako, Mali), organized by the Getty Conservation Institute and the Ministry of Culture of Mali.
It involves the technical support of the main international institutions, namely CRATerre-ENSAG, ICCROM, and ICOMOS, as well as the regional institutions EPA (Benin), CHDA (Kenya), and CERKAS (Morocco), and seeks, in the course of the activities, further cooperation and partnerships with other specialized institutions as well as national and local governmental authorities.
The programme is made possible thanks to the financial support granted by the World Heritage Committee through the World Heritage Fund and the Government of France through the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement.
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