Disaster Risk Management Plan for Quebrada de Humahuaca

Objectives

1. To provide general training to the national staff in charge of the management and conservation of the property and other public officials concerned on disaster risk management (analysis, prevention and mitigation), according to international standards;
2. To implement training workshops on disaster risk management to the local communities living in the property and its surroundings;
3. To develop a Disaster Risk Management Plan for the property, including the following stages:

• Establishing the objectives, scope, audience, responsible agencies, and costs for the Plan.
• Identifying and assessing disaster risks for each of the archaeological remains, according to the standard methodology and practice.
• Developing prevention and mitigation programmes for the property;
• Developing a preparedness and response plan for emergency situations and possible response scenarios for emergency situations at the property;
• Developing a post–disaster recovery plan for the property;

4. To establish an Inter–institutional Coordinating Board for the implementation and follow–up of the Disaster Risk Management Plan;
5. To inform relevant agencies and civil society (local communities) about the Disaster Risk Management Plan for the Quebrada de Humahuaca.

 Relevance

The region is subject to high geographical and climatic vulnerability, which has considerable effects on World Heritage. Most importantly, natural disasters are exacerbated by climate change and have had significant impacts on the state of conservation of several World Heritage properties in the region. This highlights the existence of limited mechanisms and tools to assess prevent and mitigate those impacts.

In this context, the project considers that capacity-building should be directed to both national institutions and the local communities. Furthermore, it is expected that the project will seek measures not only regarding how heritage can be preserved but also the way in which heritage can be used to improve resilience to natural and human-induced disasters.

The conservation and management of World Heritage properties require the increasing involvement of the local communities and the joint effort of the civil society and all stakeholders (associations, independent groups, etc.)