ICOMOS. Climate change impacts on cultural heritage

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Climate change significantly affects natural world heritage sites.  

The challenges facing cultural heritage in the face of climate change include floods,  decay of cultural landscapes, extreme weather events and other issues.

Climate change impacts on cultural heritage has been discussed at forum held within the International Day for Monuments and Sites (IDMS). 

April 18 is annually observed as the International Day for Monuments and Sites (IDMS).

The Day was established by the International Council on Monuments and Historic Sites (ICOMOS) in 1982 to bring global attention to the need to conserve monuments and sites as cultural heritage.

Each year, on this occasion, ICOMOS proposes a theme for activities to be organized by its members, National and International Scientific Committees, partners, etc.

This year's theme "Heritage and Climate" aims at highlighting the ways of interdependence and interaction of man-made culture and the natural environment.

ICOMOS Forum in Baku

A special forum to commemorate the ICOMOS International Day for Monuments and Sites has been held in Baku.

The forum was co-organized by the State Service for Protection, Development and Restoration of Cultural Heritage  and ICOMOS Azerbaijan National Committee at the International Mugham Center.

Speaking at the event, the head of the Azerbaijan's Civil Service Azad Jafarli stressed the importance of the International Day for Monuments and Sites which draws people's attention to the protection of monuments and historical sites.

He said that  Icharishahar includes the Shirvanshahs' Palace and Maiden Tower, Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape and Shaki Khan Palace.

The head of the Civil Service noted the role of President Ilham Aliyev and  First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva in major work  done to preserve, study and pass national cultural heritage to future generations, as well as restore historical monuments in the liberated territories.

In his speech,  Azad Jafarli underlined that  issues raised at the forum and the exchange of views on them will highlight important points.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank ICOMOS Vice-President  Zeynab Gul Unal for her participation. Together with her, we have witnessed the consequences of the Armenian occupation in Aghdam. At the same time, we saw a new reality and fruitful work by the Azerbaijani state," he added.

ICOMOS Vice-President  Zeynab Gul Unal provided detailed information about the activities of the organization she represents.

ICOMOS works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places. It is the only global non-government organization of this kind, which is dedicated to promoting the application of theory, methodology, and scientific techniques to the conservation of the architectural and archaeological heritage.

In her speech, Zeynab Gul Unal noted that ICOMOS is a network of experts that benefits from the interdisciplinary exchange of its members, among which are architects, historians, archaeologists, art historians, geographers, anthropologists, engineers and town planners.

She also welcomed the establishment of the ICOMOS National Committee in Azerbaijan and wished success to the organization.

Chairman of the Azerbaijan Union of Architects, Honored Architect Elbay Gasimzadeh drew attention to the promotion of the Azerbaijan's historical and cultural sites at the international level.

"Thanks to the great attention and care of President Ilham Aliyev, great work is being done in our country to study, protect and restore historical monuments, and promote cultural heritage in the international arena. All this ensures the integration of Azerbaijan into the global world together with its material and spiritual culture," he said.

Elbay Gasimzadeh also spoke about the peculiarities of the monuments in the country. He said it would take a long time for the reconstruction process in the liberated territories.

"Azerbaijan's Aghdam region was destroyed by Armenians. We have very important tasks ahead of us. We need time, people and resources," he concluded.

Panel sessions

The forum was followed with panel sessions on "ICOMOS and Azerbaijan's material and cultural heritage of world importance", "Experiences in the restoration and conservation of monuments in Azerbaijan" and "Protection of cultural heritage during emergencies."

The discussions were focused on the promotion of historical and cultural monuments in Azerbaijan worldwide.

The panel sessions participants discussed partnership between Azerbaijan and UNESCO, protection, restoration and conservation of historical monuments in Icharishahar.

They stressed the importance of preventing the impacts of climate change on cultural and natural heritage.

The meeting also highlighted  the experience of preserving historical monuments in Turkey.