Since 2019, the PROCULTHER initiatives have progressively strengthened the protection of cultural heritage within the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) through the development of a Methodology recognised at European level. Furthermore, activities aimed at promoting and disseminating operational tools agreed by the disaster risk management and cultural heritage sectors have contributed to fostering the institutional recognition of cultural heritage safeguarding within the field of civil protection.

The new phase, launched by PROCULTHER-4ALL, is structured around three main lines of action:

• consolidating and expanding the capacities of the PROCULTHER community;
• disseminating knowledge;
• exchanging experiences with other initiatives funded by the European Union.

In particular, the project aims to foster the transition towards a whole-of-society approach through the development of dedicated guidelines for the protection of cultural heritage at risk, with a particular focus on intangible cultural heritage. It will also envisages the development of an Action Plan and the implementation of specific awareness-raising activities targeting a broader range of stakeholders.

Throughout the project, efforts will therefore focus on identifying needs and capacities in this field, while building on existing methodologies, training approaches and operational tools and further integrating them into the structures and activities of the Mechanism, including training programmes and exercises such as EU MODEX.

Other actions envisaged under the initiative include the development of strategies to foster the engagement of citizens and the private sector; support for the establishment of Cultural Heritage Protection Modules, i.e., specialised teams made available by UCPM Participating States; and enhanced knowledge sharing through the Technical Bulletins, publications released within the framework of PROCULTHER that collect interdisciplinary good practices on the protection of cultural heritage at risk.

The experiences documented throughout PROCULTHER-4ALL, particularly those relating to strengthening stakeholder engagement and community participation, will directly contribute to future updates of the Methodology, supporting the integration of an approach based on the involvement of society as a whole in the management of disaster risks affecting cultural heritage.

CORILA Role

CORILA is participating as an associate partner alongside UNESCO and the Municipality of Venice. Building on the experience gained through the UNDRR “Making Cities Resilient” and MCR2030 campaigns—and leveraging Venice’s role as a model city for cultural heritage resilience—the project will foster the engagement of European cities keen to strengthen their local-level capacities.

Since 2010, CORILA has supported the Municipality of Venice in UNDRR initiatives and the development of climate adaptation strategies, currently contributing to the MCR2030 campaign, in which Venice is recognized as a “Resilience Hub.”
Within the project, CORILA will contribute to the implementation of pilot actions, case studies, and knowledge-exchange events, thereby strengthening the project’s territorial dimension and facilitating the validation of tools and methodologies across diverse operational and cultural contexts. Furthermore, CORILA will support the dissemination and sustainability of results by promoting the replicability of effective practices and the integration of cultural heritage protection into risk management strategies.