Princess Dana Firas, President of the Petra National Trust (PNT), President of ECOMOS-Jordan, and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Cultural Heritage, on Sunday, presided over the inaugural ceremony of the “Future for Our Past” heritage conservation project. The event took place yesterday evening at the PNT’s Cultural Hub Bayt Yaish. The project idea can be traced back to a call from National Geographic in 2021, which sought proposals focusing on safeguarding cultural heritage sites that face threats due to climate change or conflicts. The experimental project aims to devise a comprehensive program that aids stakeholders at heritage sites in comprehending the potential impacts of future climate changes. It empowers them to formulate sustainable management plans, enhance community resilience to protect vulnerable sites, and provide tools for local leaders to effectively manage culturally significant sites. Princess Dana underscored the significance of grappling with the contemporary challenges posed by climate change on our cultural heritage sites and the communities residing within and around them. She prompted introspection on our readiness to respond to this emerging natural landscape, tackle transformative challenges, and expedite measures to safeguard both people and sites. Suleiman Farajat, the Chief Commissioner of Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA), emphasized that climate change is a global challenge, reaffirming the Authority’s commitment to involving local communities in decision-making processes and leveraging the experiences of other nations in tackling this issue. The project implementation is structured in two phases. The initial phase encompassed a training workshop held in March, primarily focused on understanding the diverse values associated with heritage sites. Through charters, agreements, and mapping exercises, the workshop explored heritage, societal, economic, social, and religious values. The second phase convened a distinguished group of experts to train a carefully selected ten participating global heritage sites and relevant stakeholders. This training aimed to assess the vulnerability of heritage values, evaluate the effectiveness of previous training initiatives, and foster knowledge exchange among participants. The PNT works to promote best practices in the preservation of cultural and natural heritage in Jordan and beyond. For over thirty years, it has been committed to encouraging and promoting sustainable management approaches to cultural heritage sites, creating a generation that recognizes the importance of their heritage and culture and is capable of advancing their society. The PNT’s work is based on five main pillars: gaining support for cultural heritage, conserving and managing heritage sites, educational and awareness programs, socio-economic development and community empowerment, as well as climate heritage.
Source: Jordan News Agency