Cultural heritage has been absent from the sustainable development debate despite its crucial role, influence and importance at national level. To address this inadequacy the first National Conference on Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development will be held January 13-14 under the auspices of the Management and Planning Organization and Research institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism.
The meeting will seek to identify challenges in the interaction between cultural heritage and development projects and offer solutions. It will try to forge a meaningful working relationship between the conservation/protection measures for cultural and natural heritage on the one hand and large-scale development programs on the other, IRNA reported.
Subjects to be covered at the conference include “Cultural Heritage, Sustainable Development and Spatial Planning”, “Cultural Heritage, Sustainable Development and Water Management”, and “Cultural Heritage, Sustainable Development, Road Construction and Urban Development.”
Active participation of experts in cultural and heritage issues along with development planners at the meeting can help closer interaction between the two needs. The conference is an initiative to help introduce cultural heritage into development plans from a scientific viewpoint, acting secretary general of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, Sadollah Nasiri Gheydari said.
“Urban development has almost always affected national and cultural identity. It is apparent that a single conference cannot put an end to the destruction of cultural heritage; but it can help channel efforts to preserve heritage sites,” Gheydari said.
What makes the conference all the more interesting is the gathering of intellectuals, thinkers, critics, politicians and researchers along with executive managers who aware of the ground realities in both important spheres of development needs and cultural identity.
Representatives from various commissions of the Majlis are also welcome to attend. “If even a small part of the decisions made at the conference is incorporated in the next five-year economic, social and cultural development plan (2016-2021), an important service will have been done” to the process of safeguarding cultural heritage,” Gheydari said.
