Peru has launched a new initiative aimed at strengthening disaster risk management and climate resilience across its World Heritage sites, as growing environmental threats increasingly endanger the country’s cultural and natural heritage.
The project, titled Resilient World Heritage: Building resilience to climate change and disaster risk in World Heritage Sites in Peru, was officially launched on September 29 and will run until May 2026. It seeks to improve technical capabilities for managing risks linked to climate change and natural disasters across Peru’s 13 UNESCO-listed World Heritage sites.
The initiative is being promoted by the Embassy of Switzerland in Peru through the Regional Thematic Hub in Lima of the Swiss International Cooperation Agency (SDC), with support from the BBVA Foundation and LATAM Airlines. It is being implemented by UNESCO Peru in coordination with Peru’s Ministry of Culture and several national and local institutions.
As part of the programme, a specialised training course is being developed to strengthen the skills of site managers and technical personnel responsible for heritage conservation and disaster preparedness.
Climate change has emerged as a major threat to World Heritage sites worldwide, increasing both the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. In Peru, impacts associated with phenomena such as El Niño have raised concerns over heavy rainfall, flooding and soil instability affecting historic structures built with traditional materials like adobe and quincha.
Natural heritage sites face separate but equally serious challenges, including biodiversity loss, habitat disruption, rising extinction risks and increased forest fires.
Speaking during the launch event, UNESCO Representative in Peru Guiomar Alonso Cano said climate-related risks to heritage sites have become increasingly urgent.
“Seventy-three percent of World Heritage sites are exposed to water-related risks such as droughts and floods, which are being intensified by climate change,” she said, stressing the need for cooperation between governments, international partners, private organisations and academic institutions.
Lukas Heinzer, representing the Embassy of Switzerland in Peru, said the project introduces an innovative approach by integrating disaster risk considerations directly into the management of heritage sites.
The initiative’s advanced training programme is expected to benefit more than 50 site managers and technical staff from institutions including the Ministry of Culture, SERNANP, CENEPRED, INDECI and municipal authorities from Lima, Cusco and Arequipa.
Participants will also receive practical exposure through case studies and field-based learning at heritage locations including Lima’s Historic Centre and the Huaycán de Cieneguilla Archaeological Site, which forms part of the Qhapaq Ñan road system. International experts from Latin America will also contribute experiences from other cultural and natural heritage sites.
To support long-term coordination, managers from all 13 World Heritage sites have also taken part in the first meeting of Peru’s National Network of World Heritage Site Managers, designed to encourage knowledge-sharing and strengthen collaboration across institutions.
The project additionally includes the creation of a specialised methodological guide focused on improving prevention, preparedness and emergency response mechanisms for natural hazards affecting cultural and natural heritage locations.
Peru currently has 13 sites inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, including nine cultural heritage sites, two natural heritage sites and two mixed heritage sites spread across 11 regions of the country. Together, they account for nearly 1.9% of Peru’s total land area.
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