Responding to new needs: Flood vulnerability assessments
On-going trainings in different fields are necessary to respond to the increasing diversity of questions and needs of collectors and institutions. With this in mind, last week I attended a one-day course on “Carrying Out a Vulnerability Assessment on Buildings and Equipment” (Réaliser un diagnostic de vulnérabilité sur des bâtiments et des équipements).
A mix of theory and practice, the training introduced participants to the concepts of risk and vulnerability regarding floods. We were taught how to carry out a vulnerability assessment and what reduction measures would be advisable in different situations.
As museums and collectors are very much aware of, floods will greatly damage a collection and the building, even rendering them inaccessible. To prepare for this, professionals in the cultural sector have been hard at work building disaster preparedness and emergency response plans for their institutions. Knowing what the risk points and mitigation possibilities are is imperative when putting together this plan.
The course also included how to plan for the financial drawback that a flood will cause, which is an essential part of managing a collection.
Organised by Episeine, a sub-division of the French EPTB Seine Grands Lacs, one of the aims of this event was to bring together different partners and initiatives concerned by flood risk prevention. As one of two art and heritage-related participants, it was a great pleasure to be included in this day, along with representatives of local city halls, art insurance providers and the Red Cross.
Congratulations Blue Shield France on an excellent event
On Wednesday, 29 January 2020, the French Committee of the Blue Shield held a one-day conference in Paris on “Bouncing back from the crisis: heritage and resilience” (Rebondir après le drame : patrimoines et résilience).
As a member of the Blue Shield and volunteer for the organisation, I was delighted to be able to attend the event and give a small hand in helping prepare it.
Having been in charge of the creation of such reports as the Watch Lists and No-Strike Lists for the Blue Shield International between 2011 and 2016, as well as its oficial statements on heritage in danger, I felt this as a continuation of my work in spreading the knowledge on heritage in danger.
Conference speakers presented the work done in France by different organisations regarding the preparation and protection of cultural heritage. This included redefining the concept of resilience in the aftermath of a disaster, as well as introducing the work done by representatives of the French army, government officials and non-profit organisations in France and around the world. It was made clear through said presentations that the key to resilience is, indeed, preparation.
The event highlighted the wonderful efforts done by several sectors of the public and non-profit world to help protect our art and heritage, and presented the lessons learned during past interventions.
Speakers included:
Charles PERSONNAZ, Director of the French Institut national du patrimoine
Philippe BARBAT, Director General of Heritage (Directeur Général des Patrimoines)
Jocelyne DESCHAUX, Chari of Blue Shield France
Francesc PLA CASTELLTORT, Culture and Cultural Heritage Division, Directorate General of Democracy, Counseil of Europe
Romain KIMMEL, Head of the Directorate General for Civil Secrity and Crisis Management (Direction Générale de la Sécurité Civile et de la Gestion des Crises)
Capitain Ariane PINAULDT, Curator at the Musée des transmissions de Cesson-Sévigné
Samir ABDULAC, ICOMOS France and Blue Shield France
Bruno FAVEL, Head of the Department of European and International Affairs at the Directoare-General for Heritage (Département des Afaires européennes et internationales de la Direction Générale des Patrimoines), Ministry of Culture
The event was also the occasion for non-profit heritage organisations in France to present their work, with spaces being set out and dedicated to them throughout the day.
I look forward to similar events in the future, as we work towards transversal approaches for the protection of art and heritage.