Learn & Discover

Access Control is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Aftershock Risk is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

The name refers to both an emblem and an organization dedicated to protecting cultural heritage during armed conflicts and disasters. The Blue Shield emblem (a blue and white shield) is the international symbol used to mark protected cultural property under the Hague Convention of 1954. The Blue Shield network (often called the cultural Red Cross) consists of committees and volunteers worldwide who work to safeguard museums, archives, monuments, and sites at risk from wars or natural catastrophes.

Source: UNESCO, Hague Convention, UNIDROIT, ICOM

Build Back Better is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

In the context of heritage institutions (like museums, archives, or cultural sites), this refers to planning and processes that enable operations to continue or quickly resume after an emergency or disruption. A Business Continuity plan might cover backup sites for exhibitions, data recovery for digital archives, or temporary relocation of collections to ensure services and preservation activities are maintained.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Capacity is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Cold Chain (Heritage) is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Community Warning is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Contamination Control is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Contingency Plan is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

An organized system or framework for different stakeholders to work together effectively during an emergency. In heritage protection, a coordination mechanism might involve cultural authorities, emergency services, local communities, and international experts sharing information and resources. Clear coordination ensures that efforts like damage assessment, salvage, and security are carried out without conflict or duplication.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Crisis Communication is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Cultural Heritage Protection refers to the safeguarding, conservation, and management of tangible and intangible heritage assets before, during, and after disasters. It aims to preserve historical, cultural, social, and identity-related values for present and future generations through preventive, emergency, and recovery measures.

Source: UNESCO, ICCROM

The capacity of a community’s cultural heritage – its traditions, values, and identity – to endure and recover from challenges or disruptions. A culturally resilient community adapts to change (such as migration, conflict, or disasters) while maintaining or reasserting its core cultural expressions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Damage Assessment is the process of systematically identifying, documenting, and evaluating physical, structural, and material damage to cultural heritage caused by disasters, forming the basis for stabilization and restoration decisions.

Source: ICOMOS, ICCROM

Damage Assessment is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Debris Management is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Disaster Risk is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Disaster Risk Reduction is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

A mechanism or network designed to detect signs of an impending hazard and deliver timely alerts, allowing preventive action to protect people and heritage. For example, sensors that monitor environmental conditions (flood levels, seismic activity) or community-based warning protocols can give heritage site managers and local residents advance notice to secure collections or evacuate.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Emergency Funding is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Emergency Preparedness refers to planning, training, and resource allocation carried out in advance to ensure effective response to disasters affecting cultural heritage. It includes evacuation planning, safety protocols, and coordination with emergency services.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Emergency Preparedness is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Emergency Procurement is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Emergency Response is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Evacuation is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Evacuation Route Planning is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Exposure is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Any potential source of harm or adverse effect on lives, property, or heritage. Hazards can be natural (such as earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes) or human-made (like fires, armed conflict, or vandalism). In risk management for cultural heritage, identifying hazards is the first step toward assessing risks and taking preventive measures to protect sites and collections.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Hazard Mapping is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Humanitarian Assistance is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Incident Command System is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Logistics Cluster is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Looting Prevention is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Actions taken to reduce the severity of a disaster’s impact on cultural heritage. Mitigation measures can be structural (for example, reinforcing a historic building to better withstand earthquakes) or non-structural (like creating firebreaks around an archaeological site or developing emergency plans). Effective mitigation lowers risk by addressing weaknesses before a hazard strikes.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Mud and Silt Contamination is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Mutual Aid is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

A detailed evaluation conducted after a disaster to determine the extent of damage and the needs for recovery and reconstruction, including in the culture sector. In heritage protection, a PDNA examines impacts on cultural sites, institutions, and practices, and helps plan the resources and actions required to restore and safeguard them.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Post-Disaster Response involves coordinated actions taken immediately after a disaster to ensure human safety, stabilize damaged heritage sites, prevent further loss, and document impacts. These actions form the foundation for recovery and long-term conservation planning.

Source: UNDRR, ICCROM

Preventive Conservation focuses on proactive measures taken to minimize future deterioration or damage to cultural heritage by controlling environmental conditions, managing risks, and applying protective strategies before disasters occur.

Source: ICOM-CC

A risk evaluation method that uses descriptive scales for likelihood and impact rather than numeric estimates. It supports prioritization when data are limited but expert judgment is available.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

A risk evaluation method that uses numerical data to estimate probability and potential impact of hazards. It supports data-driven prioritization and resource allocation for protection measures.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Rapid Assessment is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Recovery is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Recovery Plan is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

In disaster management, rehabilitation refers to the phase of recovery where essential services and normal life begin to be restored after an emergency. For cultural heritage, rehabilitation may involve reopening a damaged museum, re-establishing security and climate control for collections, or providing support to communities to restart cultural activities, serving as a bridge between immediate relief and long-term reconstruction.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Relief Operations is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Risk Assessment is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Risk Communication is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Safety Perimeter is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

The process of deciding which objects or parts of a heritage site to rescue or stabilize first after a disaster. Because time and resources are limited in emergencies, heritage responders rank items by significance and vulnerability – for example, prioritizing irreplaceable artifacts or structurally critical elements for immediate salvage.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Search and Rescue is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Sheltering is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Site Safety Briefing is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Situation Report is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Structural Shoring is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Temporary Stabilization is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Temporary Storage is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Triage for Collections is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

Volunteer Management is a concept or practice used to reduce harm from hazards and manage emergencies affecting people, assets, and heritage. It supports preparedness, response, and recovery decisions with clear roles and prioritized actions.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO

The degree to which a heritage site, object, or community is susceptible to damage from hazards. Vulnerability depends on factors like the fragility of materials, the structural integrity of buildings, the presence of protective measures, and the preparedness of staff. High vulnerability means even a moderate hazard could cause severe harm to the heritage asset.

Source: UNDRR, UNESCO