| News | WHITR-AP Shanghai Contributed to the 2nd HIA Training |
| PublishDate：2025-12-08 Hits：32 |
Group photo of members ©SPAFA
The 2nd Training Workshop on Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) in Southeast Asia, themed “Enhancing Mitigation Measures and Monitoring System” was carried out in a hybrid format combining online sessions (28-30 October 2025) and an onsite program in Ayutthaya, Thailand (17-21 November 2025). Co-organized by the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts (SEAMEO SPAFA) and ICCROM through its World Heritage Leadership Programme, and locally supported by Thailand’s Fine Arts Department and the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP), the workshop brought together 23 participants from 14 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East—including Albania, Brunei Darussalam, Egypt, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, and Thailand.
The training was structured to address the growing tension between infrastructure development and heritage protection in Southeast Asia. The 3-day online component delivered foundational theoretical knowledge on HIA principles, methodologies, and regional frameworks, while the 5-day onsite workshop emphasized the practical application of the existing guidance through case studies centered on Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage property. Key activities included recap lectures on the steps of the HIA process, site visits to the Historic City, group exercises on value assessment, impact identification and evaluation and definition of mitigation and enhancement measures, and final presentations, to discuss the need to integrate HIA into different heritage management systems.
WHITR-AP Shanghai (World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO, Shanghai Centre) played a pivotal role in the workshop as a collaborative partner and knowledge contributor. Its team members, including Gamini Wijesuriya (Special Advisor), Carolina Castellanos (Head of Research Unit), and Li Hong (Project Director), brought decades of expertise in heritage management, impact assessment, and capacity building. Together, they provided technical guidance, delivered thematic presentations, and facilitated interactive sessions, ensuring participants gained actionable skills to address complex heritage impact challenges in their home countries.
The workshop strengthened institutional capacity in Southeast Asia, promoted the integration of HIA into national legislation, and fostered regional collaboration for heritage safeguarding. By focusing on mitigation measures and monitoring systems - two underdeveloped components of HIA practice - the initiative sought to balance development needs with the preservation of the region’s rich cultural and natural heritage for future generations.
Group discussion ©SPAFA
Speech of Gamini Wijesuriya ©SPAFA
Speech of Carolina Castellanos ©SPAFA
Speech of Li Hong ©SPAFA
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