ISLAMABAD: Focussing on protection of World Heritage Sites in Pakistan, the United Nation Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in cooperation with national authorities has carried out a number of conservation projects at various sites.
The major modalities involved in all these interventions focused on the capacity building of national staff through training workshops, carrying out site studies to establish baseline, engaging international expertise, reinforcing and establishing research and documentation centers and following international standard of conservation and protection.
A number of structures and decorative features have been restored in Shalamar Gardens and Lahore Fort. Through capacity building of local artisans in decorative features of the Sites, the conservation of World Heritage has been linked with livelihoods and poverty reduction. A recent intervention of UNESCO focuses at protecting Taxila World Heritage Site against bio-deterioration through capacity building.
The intervention aims at establishing a comprehensive baseline of bio-growth and its impact on the site and building the staff capacity through training workshops on mitigating measures and developing conservation guidelines, said an official of UNESCO.
Realizing the urgency to protect and promote invaluable cultural heritage of Pakistan, UNESCO in collaboration with Government and other national partners including local University, Government Institutions and local NGO's set off a number of capacity building initiatives on Cultural mapping and carried out culture mapping exercises in six districts of KP and Punjab. Federal Government provided space at Lokvirsa, the National heritage Museum, to establish a National Database and UNESCO continue its support through technical assistance to strengthen the database.
On the tangible side, UNESCO focuses on the World Heritage sites which possess an outstanding universal value and are sources of pride, peace and diversity. Protection of the diverse features of these sites including building craft, type of architecture and building techniques keep alive the artistic expressions of the diverse people of the past and intangible elements associated with them.
Under the international campaign of Safeguarding Moenjodaro, a number of activities were carried out to protect this unique world heritage site against flood threat, high water table and salt action. A number of international and local experts were engaged to carry out studies and training workshops in brick conservation and mitigating the chronic issue of salt action on the site which had been causing the decay of the site at alarming rate.
UNESCO has been taking initiatives to tap the potential of traditional craftsmanship and cultural and creative industries which can serve as strategic tools for revenue generation, particularly in developing countries like Pakistan having rich cultural heritage and substantial labor force. Cultural and creative Industries also carry an aesthetic or symbolic representation which provides access to cultural expressions of diverse groups engaged in activity.
UNESCO has been supporting the vulnerable population both male and female in rural areas including disaster affected areas of Pakistan through enhancing their resilience and livelihoods capacity in cultural and creative industries and disaster affected areas of Pakistan including Swat, Thatta, Bahwalpur, Multan, Mansehra, Pishin and Dera Ghazi Khan. The modalities employed are providing access to training, information of markets, suitable raw-material, establishing home-based centers and building networks.
Highlighting the role of culture in promoting peace, diversity and sustainable development, a number of interventions in the area of heritage education have been initiated, which focus on building the teacher's and educators capacity to integrate the indigenous knowledge and cultural practices into teaching and learning, the official said.
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