Declaration on intangible cultural heritage and climate action adopted by the ICH NGO Forum

The ICH NGO Forum has adopted a declaration to better protect intangible cultural heritage against the effects of climate change while simultaneously using this local knowledge and expertise to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Copyright Sami Dobbelaere, via KonVIB

Beekeeping is a form of intangible heritage that can make a positive contribution to biodiversity. Photo via CAG. Copyright Sami Dobbelaere, via KonVIB

This declaration, titled 'The Declaration on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage for Climate Action,' has been adopted by the NGOs affiliated with the ICH NGO Forum.

The declaration builds on various Unesco initiatives and emphasises why we must safeguard intangible cultural heritage and utilise it as a tool to create a climate-resilient and biodiverse landscape.

The creation of the declaration

The Dutch Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage (KIEN) and the Centre for Agricultural History (CAG) are active in the ICH NGO Forum, an international network of 206 accredited NGOs involved in the Unesco Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. In 2023, a working group was established within the NGO Forum, focusing specifically on intangible cultural heritage, climate change, and biodiversity loss. This working group is committed to continuing research and advocacy on the role that intangible cultural heritage can play in addressing the threats of climate change and biodiversity loss, including the drafting of this declaration. Together with NGOs from around the world, KIEN and CAG are actively working towards the goals of the working group.

Jet Bakels, a scientific staff member at KIEN, is an expert in sustainability, biodiversity, and intangible cultural heritage and has contributed to the declaration on behalf of KIEN. Bakels is proud that the declaration has been adopted. Bakels:

"It is incredibly important that, through this declaration, attention is drawn to the crucial significance of intangible cultural heritage for our human resilience and connectedness, and as a practical tool in the fight for a sustainable future."

About the declaration: Safeguarding and utilising intangible cultural heritage against the effects of climate change

Climate change poses a significant threat to intangible cultural heritage, endangering traditions and practices worldwide. The declaration highlights the importance of integrating traditional and local knowledge with scientific research to enhance resilience and adaptation in times of climate change. Central to this are the communities that keep intangible cultural heritage alive, whose participation and knowledge are essential for building resilience against the impacts of climate change.

Broadly, the ICH NGO Forum’s declaration states that national and international climate policies should explicitly include measures to protect intangible cultural heritage from - and utilise it for - mitigating the effects of climate change. The declaration argues that countries worldwide should ensure the protection of intangible cultural heritage from the impacts of climate change and recognise its instrumental value in combating the adverse effects of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Furthermore, the declaration calls for more research into how we can measure the impact of climate change on intangible cultural heritage, including the development of indicators and conducting global surveys to map diverse situations.

Recommendations on climate adaptation and intangible cultural heritage

The declaration makes 11 recommendations aimed at states and governments, other NGOs, intangible cultural heritage communities, and individuals. 

Read all recommendations here

The declaration makes 11 recommendations aimed at states and governments, other NGOs, intangible cultural heritage communities, and individuals. The declaration calls for:

  1. Promoting interdisciplinary research on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in the context of climate change.
  2. Better integrating traditional and scientific knowledge in climate strategies.
  3. Strengthening the role of intangible cultural heritage in enhancing the resilience of communities against climate change.
  4. Recognising and respecting the spiritual relationships of indigenous peoples with nature.
  5. Supporting communities affected by climate change in using their knowledge for climate adaptation.
  6. Integrating intangible cultural heritage into national climate policy measures.
  7. Recognising the diversity of cultural and natural values in climate action.
  8. Including the effects and consequences of climate change in the safeguarding plans for intangible cultural heritage.
  9. Prioritising the inscription of intangible cultural heritage affected by climate change on UNESCO’s 'Urgent Safeguarding' list.
  10. Conducting global surveys to map the different situations of intangible cultural heritage and developing relevant indicators.
  11. Implementing comprehensive measures to protect intangible cultural heritage during climate-related disasters.

The full declaration can be read in English and French on the ICH NGO Forum website and was presented on 11 June 2024 during the 10th General Assembly of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage

More about International Collaborations, KIEN, CAG and the ICH NGO Forum

Would you like to know more about KIEN’s role in the ICH NGO Forum? Visit this page to learn more about KIEN’s various international collaborations. More information about CAG and their research into Belgium’s agricultural history can be found on the CAG website. It is a treasure trove of knowledge, research, and information for anyone with a passion for sustainability, rural areas, and history.

KIEN and CAG have long collaborated on researching the different ways in which intangible cultural heritage can contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change. For example, in the Water & Land project, a multi-year project in which researchers and heritage practitioners explore how intangible cultural heritage can serve as a catalyst for a more sustainable future.

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