Workshop on Heritage Impact Assessment in Bangladesh
The UNESCO Dhaka Office, in close collaboration with the ICOMOS Bangladesh successfully organized a three-day online Workshop on Heritage Impact Assessment for Bangladeshi stakeholder.
The workshop took place on 7, 14 and 21 May 2022 via Zoom. This workshop had been conducted with the financial contribution by the UNESCO/Netherlands Funds in Trust.
The chief guest of this virtual workshop were Mr. Ratan Chandra Pandit Director General (Additional Secretary) and Ms. Beatrice Kaldun, UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh. The facilitators were on this online workshop was – Dr. Sharif Shams Imon, and Dr. Richard A. Engelhardt.
During the 3-day online Workshop, 20 participants with background in the field of archaeology, heritage and architecture were given relevant knowledge and hands-on practices on the management and planning of World Heritage properties in the context of the UNESCO 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Heritage in Bangladesh and Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA). National and regional regulatory frameworks in Asia had been discussed. Group works and assignments on the conservation of different architectural structures of Bangladesh had been implemented during this workshop.
In accordance with the UNESCO 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in Bangladesh, the Workshop’s participants were then given practical management and planning skills for World Heritage properties. The procedures for conducting Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) for cultural heritage sites were introduced and explained in this online workshop.
Following the methodology outlined in the workshop, participants should be able to create an abbreviated HIA report after attending. The workshop included Lectures, constructed group work, presentation and discussion, group assignment.
The online workshop was successful and insightful. Participants agreed that it was an excellent platform for experts and stakeholders to share knowledge and expertise in order to improve Bangladesh’s understanding of Heritage Impact Assessment. The virtual workshop provided a fantastic forum for professionals and stakeholders to share information and expertise in order to improve Bangladesh’s understanding on the necessity of the Heritage Impact Assessment in world heritage sites and architectures of Bangladesh.