Chiang Mai, Thailand - UNESCO Bangkok presented the project exhibition "Developing a Flood Risk Mitigation Plan for the World Heritage site of Ayutthaya" and participated in a technical workshop on ‘Reducing water risk and increasing resilience with insight from the Mekong countries’ at the 2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit, Chiang Mai from 16-20 May 2013.
The ADB-funded project was developed following the floods in 2011 that heavily affected the Ayutthaya Historic City World Heritage Site. It is currently being implemented by the UNESCO Institute for Water Education (UNESCO-IHE) based in the Netherlands, in close collaboration with UNESCO Bangkok. Project partners include the Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute (HAII), the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and the Fine Arts Department of Thailand.
The technical workshop, in which UNESCO Bangkok participated at the water summit, was organized by the Stockholm Environment Institute - Asia (SEI-Asia), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Secretariat of Sustainable Mekong Research Network (SUMERNET). The workshop discussed a range of topics related to risk reduction of water-induced disasters such as communicating water-related risks for local adaptation, improving governance and avoiding institutional traps as well as assessing vulnerability and integrating cultural heritage into flood risk mitigation strategies, as presented by UNESCO Bangkok. In his concluding statements the moderator Dr. Louis Lebel from Chiang Mai University stated that governments have to prevent risk reduction from resulting in a mere risk-redistribution. In this context, he also stressed that cultural heritage needs to be taken into consideration in national flood risk mitigation strategies. The recommendations drafted in the technical workshops were presented at the summit’s Leader’s Forum on Monday 20 May 2013, which was attended by various heads of state from the region.
Apart from the initiative in Ayutthaya, a workshop recently organized by the UNESCO Hanoi addressed the development of Disaster Risk Management Plans for three World Heritage Sites in Viet Nam: The Complex of Hue Monuments, Hoi An Ancient Town and Thang Long Imperial Citadel. Particularly Hue and Hoi An have experienced frequent flooding in the past.
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