ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Risk Preparedness (ICORP)

ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Risk Preparedness (ICORP)
Name	ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Risk Preparedness (ICORP)
Formation	2003
Founder	International Council on Monuments and Sites
Type	Non-governmental organization
Headquarters	Paris
Fields	Cultural heritage, disaster risk management
Region served	Worldwide

ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Risk Preparedness (ICORP) is an international scientific committee focused on reducing risks to cultural heritage from disasters, hazards, and climate-related threats. It develops strategies, guidelines, and training to integrate heritage risk preparedness into policy and practice across global, national, and local levels. The committee engages with conservation professionals, emergency managers, and policy makers to promote resilient measures for monuments, historic cities, and archaeological sites.

History

ICORP was established within the framework of International Council on Monuments and Sites initiatives that followed major heritage losses from events such as the 2003 Bam earthquake, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake, responding to calls from organizations like UNESCO and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for enhanced cultural heritage risk preparedness. Early conferences convened specialists from institutions including the Getty Conservation Institute, the World Bank, and the European Commission, building on precedents set by the Athens Charter and the Venice Charter for conservation practice. Over successive triennial cycles ICORP issued guidelines echoing frameworks from the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Agreement while collaborating with national committees such as ICOMOS USA, ICOMOS India, and ICOMOS Japan.

Mission and Objectives

ICORP’s mission aligns with mandates advanced by UNESCO World Heritage Committee to safeguard World Heritage Convention properties and broader cultural assets. Its objectives include developing risk assessment methodologies informed by case studies from sites like Venice, Machu Picchu, and Angkor Wat, promoting capacity building with partners such as the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, and advocating integration of heritage resilience into instruments used by European Union policy bodies and national authorities. The committee emphasizes interdisciplinarity, drawing on expertise represented in bodies like the International Federation for Structural Concrete and the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment.

Organizational Structure and Membership

ICORP operates as a specialist committee under the governance of International Council on Monuments and Sites with an elected chair, bureau, and national representatives mirroring structures used by other scientific committees such as ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Stone (ISCS) and ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Historic Towns and Villages (CIVVIH). Membership includes conservation scientists, architects, urban planners, archaeologists, and emergency managers affiliated with institutions like the University College London, the University of Venice IUAV, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Research Council (Italy). The committee convenes working groups and task forces modeled on practices found in International Union for Conservation of Nature commissions to address topics such as flood risk, seismic mitigation, and post-disaster recovery.

Key Activities and Programs

ICORP organizes international symposia and workshops in partnership with entities such as the Getty Foundation, the Council of Europe, and national heritage agencies like the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Programs include training modules based on precedents from the Blue Shield network and pilot resilience projects in cities like Valparaíso, Kathmandu, and Istanbul. The committee produces risk assessment toolkits influenced by standards from ISO committees and promotes field manuals for first responders modeled after guidance from the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Monuments Fund.

Publications and Guidelines

ICORP issues position papers, technical reports, and practical guidelines that complement documents such as the ICOMOS Charter for the Conservation of Historic Towns and Urban Areas and the UNESCO Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. Publications include best-practice handbooks addressing seismic retrofitting at sites like Puebla Cathedral, flood-proofing at Saint Mark's Basilica, and post-disaster documentation methods akin to procedures used by the Monuments Men and Women legacy projects. Its guidelines inform disaster risk management plans employed by municipal authorities and heritage managers in contexts similar to those of New Orleans recovery and Christchurch seismic reconstruction.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The committee collaborates with multilateral organizations such as UNESCO, UNDRR, and the Council of Europe as well as academic networks including ICOMOS ISC on Stone and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM). It engages civil society partners like the Blue Shield International, professional bodies such as the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) national committees, and funding organizations like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the European Investment Bank for resilience projects. Strategic linkages with municipal initiatives in Barcelona, Lisbon, and Alexandria facilitate field implementation.

Impact and Notable Projects

ICORP’s influence is reflected in capacity-building campaigns after the Nepal earthquake of 2015 and in advisory roles for recovery at sites affected by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and the 2015 Paris floods. Notable projects include risk preparedness planning for historic districts in Zaragoza, seismic vulnerability assessments for heritage structures in Rome, and flood resilience work at waterfront heritage in Hamburg. Through contributions to policy dialogues at forums such as the World Heritage Committee sessions, ICORP has shaped integration of cultural heritage into disaster risk reduction strategies used by agencies like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

Category:Heritage conservation organizations Category:International Council on Monuments and Sites