Objectives
Work Package 2 “Risk Prevention and Disaster Risk Management” will contribute to all main objectives of the project including:
- Bringing together representative entities of the documentary heritage value chain and initiate a discussion on its resilience to negative events, such as natural, man-made disasters and climate change
- Developing innovative strategies and smart solutions based on new technologies in response to identified risks.
- Fostering the adoption of more sustainable practices and methodologies by archives.
Understanding risk management in relation to documentary heritage – Assessment of capacities and resources of archival institutions across Europe
Partners will gather and exchange information about how risk management of documentary heritage needs to be part of the general preparedness of society to avoid and manage threats caused by disasters, climate change and man-made disasters. The result will be a State of Arts that includes aspects related to Disaster Risk Management; Sustainability; Capacity Building and collaboration strengthening networks among archival institutions, policymakers, and cultural organisations to promote best practices and shared learning.
Risks on archives / documentary heritage
This activity will include microbiological analysis and will quantitatively and qualitatively identify risks associated with the documentary heritage exposed to the natural physical environment, including physical impacts and biological agents. Samples and data will be collected and analysed, the results will be the baseline to corrective and preventive procedures/methods and Plans for pilot implementation.
Risks on human health: staff and visitors
This activity will assess how environmental and biological agents on archives and in buildings could damage human health and will propose measures to prevent adverse damage and effects on archival staff and users’ health.
Risks on built heritage
This activity will prepare a methodology for evaluating the current state of archive buildings to assess their condition and vulnerabilities. Tools and a road map will be developed which will guide preventative maintenance to improve the resilience of these buildings to mitigate against risks and protect built heritage from damage and destruction.
Implementation of action plans and management policies on archival institutions towards “Climate Change” and “Man-made” risks
In this activity a pilot implementation phase will take place to promote, test, exchange and showcase preventing and reacting measures related to climate change damage on the management of historical archives. New managerial models will be tested at the participating archival institutions in the project where results and good practices will be developed.