AMMAN — Princess Dana Firas, president of the Petra National
Trust (PNT) and ECOMOS-Jordan, and UNESCO goodwill ambassador for Cultural
Heritage, led the inaugural ceremony of the "Future for Our Past"
heritage conservation project on Sunday.
اضافة اعلان
The event, which took place at the PNT's Cultural Hub Bayt
Yaish, marked the beginning of an experimental project aimed at safeguarding
cultural heritage sites facing threats from climate change or conflicts.
Comprehensive program
The project idea was originally inspired by a call from
National Geographic in 2021, which sought proposals focusing on the protection
of cultural heritage sites vulnerable to climate change and conflicts.
The "Future for Our Past" project aims to develop
a comprehensive program that assists stakeholders at heritage sites in
understanding the potential impacts of future climate changes.
By doing so, it empowers them to create sustainable
management plans, enhance community resilience, and equip local leaders with
effective tools to manage culturally significant sites.
Challenges and urgency
Princess Dana stressed the significance of addressing the
contemporary challenges posed by climate change on cultural heritage sites and
the surrounding communities.
She urged a collective introspection on our preparedness to
respond to the changing natural landscape and expedite measures to protect both
people and sites.
Suleiman Farajat, chief commissioner of the Petra Development
and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA), emphasized that climate change is a
global challenge.
He reaffirmed the authority's commitment to involving local
communities in decision-making processes and drawing on the experiences of
other nations to tackle this issue effectively.
Phased approach to implementation
The "Future for Our Past" project follows a
two-phase implementation plan. The initial phase involved a training workshop
held in March, which focused on understanding the diverse values associated
with heritage sites.
Through charters, agreements, and mapping exercises, the
workshop explored heritage, societal, economic, social, and religious values.
In the second phase, a group of distinguished experts
conducted training for ten carefully selected global heritage sites and their
relevant stakeholders.
The training aimed to assess the vulnerability of heritage
values, evaluate the effectiveness of previous training initiatives, and
facilitate knowledge exchange among participants.
Promoting sustainable heritage management
The Petra National Trust (PNT) is dedicated to promoting
best practices in the preservation of cultural and natural heritage in Jordan
and beyond. For more than three decades, the PNT has been committed to
encouraging and implementing sustainable management approaches for cultural
heritage sites.
Their work aims to raise awareness among future generations
about the importance of heritage and culture, contributing to the advancement
of society.
The PNT's efforts are built upon five main pillars: gaining
support for cultural heritage, conserving and managing heritage sites,
implementing educational and awareness programs, promoting socio-economic
development and community empowerment, and addressing the intersection of
climate and heritage.
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