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International Workshop - Application of Space Technologies in Management and Conservation of World Heritage Sites

May 12, 2014

I. BACKGROUND  

Earth observation from space is being successfully used to monitor and evaluate the land cover changes over large areas of the planet. UNESCO, in partnership with some space agencies in the world, is assisting developing Member States by applying space technologies to assess the state of conservation of UNESCO-inscribed cultural and natural heritage sites. Recent developments in earth observation, including improved resolution, and a combination of satellite data with airborne and ground data, are enabling new applications for the assessment of heritage sites. 

However not all UNESCO Member States have the capacity to use and interpret satellite data in monitoring the state of conservation of their UNESCO-inscribed sites. Therefore, to make use of satellite imagery that is increasingly accessible, many Member States have strong demands of improving their capacities in understanding and interpreting the images for monitoring their heritage sites. 

For this purpose, the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST) under the auspices of UNESCO is to organize an international workshop “Application of Space Technologies in Management and Conservation of World Heritage Sites” in Beijing during 12-31 May, 2014. The Workshop is financially sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. 

This is the 2nd time that HIST organizes such an international workshop on space technologies for world heritage for policy makers, managers and practitioners from the less developed countries in Asia and Africa. The 1st one, which recruited 20 participants from 16 Asian countries, was organized in October, 2012. 

HIST is a category II center under the auspices of UNESCO which was approved by the 35th General Conference of UNESCO in October 2009 and officially established in Beijing on 24 July, 2011. This is the first UNESCO category 2 centre applying space technologies to the monitoring and conservation of cultural and natural world heritage sites. It is hosted by the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences which is a national research institution of China located in Beijing with the capacity of receiving and processing data acquired from satellites and remote sensing aircrafts, and applying the data to research work in various areas including the heritage sites. 

II. DATE & PLACE 

Date: 12-31 May, 2014  

Place: Beijing, China 

III. OBJECTIVE 

To help UNESCO implement its programs, especially in the capacity building of Asia and Africa, the Workshop is designed to provide training to the policy-makers, managers and researchers of the World Heritage sites in African and Asian countries for the purpose of strengthening their capacity building on using space technologies for better conservation and management of the World Heritage sites in their countries. Based on the training, a network of collaborators on the use of space technologies for World Heritage is expected to be set up in Africa and Asia in close link with HIST. 

IV. PARTICIPANTS  

The policy makers, managers and practitioners of world heritage sites of the developing member states of UNESCO in Africa and Asia lacking the capacity to use and interpret satellite data in monitoring the state of conservation of their UNESCO-inscribed sites are able to apply for participating in the Workshop. As the number is limited to 20 people from around 10 different member states, only those who are qualified can be selected as formal participants.  

V. PROCEDURES OF SELECTING WORKSHOP CANDIDATES 

Conditions: policy-makers, managers, practitioners or researchers of world heritage sites of the developing member states of UNESCO in Asia and Africa, with background of space technologies or GIS as an advantage; skills of fluent English communication required.  

Application: 

(1) Applicants fill in the attached application form and submit it to Ms Huo Sijia, the contact of the Workshop, at huosijia@ceode.ac.cn or by fax +86-10-8217-8915. Application deadline is 10 April, 2014. 

(2) The selection group will examine the applications and notify the applicants of the decisions before 15 April, 2014. Invitations will be sent to the selected applicants for visa formalities at the same time. 

VI. FINANCIAL ASSITANCE 

HIST will provide the selected participants with round-trip international airfares between their home countries and Beijing (economy class), and the local expenses such as board and lodging, field tour, local transportation, etc. during the Workshop.  

VII. LANGUAGE 

The language of the Workshop is English. Knowing or speaking some Chinese will be an advantage.  

VIII. COURSES 

  1. The World Heritage Convention and the General Status of World Heritage; 

  2. Space Technologies and Their Applications;  

  3. Remote Sensing data acquisition, processing and application; 

  4. Application of Space technologies on the Monitoring of the World Heritage sites;  

  5. Application of Virtual Technology on the World Heritage Conservation;  

  6. Space Technologies for Mitigation of Natural Disasters on World Heritage Sites; 

  7. Application of space technology on discovering and detecting Heritage Sites; 

  8. Software Practice of Remote Sensing Image Processing;  

  9. Software Practice of Geographical Information System (GIS);  

  10. Application of Space Technologies on Discovering, Detecting, Managing, Analyzing Current Status of World Heritage Sites (in field work). 

Note: All the participants will have an opportunity to participate free of charge in the “Huangshan Dialogue on UNESCO Designated Places and Sustainable Development – Application of Space Technologies for World Heritage Sites, World Biosphere Reserves and the Potential New Category of Global Geoparks” to be held in Huangshan (Yellow Mountain, a Mixed World Heritage Site), Anhui Province on 26~30 May, 2014. 

IX. LECTURERS 

The lecturers will be composed of well-known experts on space technologies for heritage from both China and the world. 

X. ACCOMMODATION 

The participants will be accommodated in a hotel in Beijing with 2 persons sharing one standard room of two beds. Three meals will be served in the restaurant of the same hotel. 

NOTE 

As is customary, all the participants are advised to take adequate insurance towards health, medical, accident or any other health related incidences/cases during their stay in China, HIST shall not be responsible for such expenses. 

For more information please contact: 

Ms. Huo Sijia  

E-Mail: hist@radi.ac.cn 

Tel: +86-10-82178911 

Fax: +86-10-82178915 

Report of the Workshop 2012 

On October 9-28, 2012, the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage under the Auspices of UNESCO (HIST) and Center for Earth Observation and Digital Earth (CEODE) co-hosted the 1st International Workshop on Space Technologies for World Heritage in Beijing. Twenty participants were selected amongst 54 applications from 16 developing countries in Asia (Pakistan, Nepal, DPRK, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Cambodia, Uzbekistan, and so on). 

 

Report of the Workshop 2013 

HIST collaborated with CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence on Space Technology for Disaster Mitigation (SDIM) in organizing the International Training Workshop on Space Technology for Disaster Mitigation in Sanya, China, from 11 to 22 November 2013. The two-week training course was attended by over 20 people from 17 developing countries (including Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and so on).
 

 

Download: Application form 

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