ISBN: 978-4-9909775-8-0

NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION

NATURAL HAZARDS AND
THE SAFEGUARDING OF
INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE
ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONREPORT OF THE RESEARCH ON ICH SAFEGUARDING AND
DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT (FY 2020–2023)

International Research Centre for
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Paciﬁc Region (IRCI)International Research Centre for
Intangible Cultural Heritage
in the Asia-Paciﬁc Region (IRCI)NATURAL HAZARDS AND
THE SAFEGUARDING OF
INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE
ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONREPORT OF THE RESEARCH ON ICH SAFEGUARDING AND
DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT (FY 2020–2023)

International Research Centre for
Intangible Cultural Heritage
in the Asia-Paciﬁc Region (IRCI)Edited by
Daisuke Machida, Yoko Nojima and Chikako Kizaki
Published by
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH CENTRE FOR INTANGIBLE CULTURALHERITAGE IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION (IRCI)
2 Mozusekiun-cho, Sakai-ku, Sakai city, Osaka 590-0802, Japan
Phone: +81-72-275-8050 Fax: +81-72-275-8151
Website: https://www.irci.jp/
e-mail: irci@nich.go.jp
Printed by Yubunsha

Date of Publication: March 2024
© International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Paciﬁc Region (IRCI) 2024

ISBN: 978-4-9909775-7-3

P R E FA C E
The International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region(IRCI) was established in 2011 within the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH),
Japan, as a Category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO. Since its establishment, IRCI
has conducted extensive projects to enhance research for safeguarding intangible cultural
heritage (ICH) in the Asia-Pacific region, in cooperation with research institutes, museums,
NGOs, and government sectors within and outside the region.
Research on ICH Safeguarding and Disaster Risk Management is a theme IRCI has beenworking on since 2016. This was around the same time that UNESCO initiated thediscussions on ICH and emergencies, and within Japan, the revitalization of ICH after theGreat East Japan Earthquake in 2011 was highlighted as part of the community’s recovery.
The first phase of the project ended in FY 2018 with the Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop on
Intangible Cultural Heritage and Natural Disasters held in Sendai, Japan, with the adoptionof ‘Statements and Recommendations for Safeguarding ICH in Disasters and Mobilising ICH
for Disaster Risk Reduction’ that called for further research and collaboration between ICH
and Disaster Risk Management (DRM) fields. This outcome document guided thedevelopment of the current phase of the project.
The second phase of the project started in FY 2020 amid the global crisis and disaster
caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which slowed down the start of project activities andlimited our possible research to desk-based activities avoiding travel and interaction with
communities. However, this difficulty led us to develop an alternative methodology tounderstand the disaster impact on ICH and the active roles of ICH in the DRM process
through a desk study. In FY 2021, desk study was carried out in Bangladesh, Fiji, Indonesia,
Mongolia, the Philippines, Vanuatu, and Viet Nam, and based on this desk study,
researchers in these countries continued their cooperation in the project by conducting
further research in specific communities in the following years. Case studies in Japan werealso incorporated into the project, thanks to the cooperation of the Tokyo National
Research Institute for Cultural Properties (Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage) andthe Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management Center established in 2021 within the
National Institutes for Cultural Heritage. Their engagement in the activities over the three
years was indispensable for the success of the project. The entire project was financially
supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan.
In recent years, the effects of climate change have been a serious concern, and the AsiaPacific region has experienced an increasing number of extreme hazards, some of whichhave resulted in disasters. In Japan, the year 2024 started with a catastrophic earthquake in
Noto that caused a considerable number of casualties and significant damage to houses,
roads, and other infrastructure. The region is known for various ICH elements including
traditional lacquerware, and their revitalization and transmission as part of the recovery
process will be critical. Even if we now have a better understanding and knowledge of ICH
and disasters, it is not possible to entirely prevent an unexpected disaster from occurring.
Therefore, it is extremely important to be better prepared for times of difficulty toieffectively safeguard ICH by assessing the potential risks.
This publication, composed of the results of the case studies that were carried out under
the project, showcases a variety of ICH elements threatened by disasters, efforts for
safeguarding, and challenges in improving DRM for ICH. The project summary provided by
IRCI would be a useful reference for understanding the development of the effort forsafeguarding ICH in the context of disasters, and for developing programmes and activities.
It would be a great pleasure to see this publication become widely used and encourage
further research projects integrating ICH and disaster risk reduction in the Asia-Pacificregion and elsewhere.

Daisuke MachidaDirector-General
International Research Centre for Intangible
Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI)ii

TABL E OF CON T E N TS
PREFACE

Daisuke MachidaDirector-General of IRCIi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

iii

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

iv

UNDERSTANDING INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF
NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS: SUMMARY OF THE IRCI PROJECT‘RESEARCH ON ICH SAFEGUARDING AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT’(FY 2020–2023)
Yoko Nojima
INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF DISASTERS AND
CLIMATE CHANGE: A CASE STUDY OF A FISHING COMMUNITY IN VIET NAM
Phan Phuong Anh and Vu Canh Toan
ICH SAFEGUARDING AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT IN BANGLADESH:
A STUDY ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL RISKS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF ICH
IN THE DRM CONTEXT
Saifur Rashid

001

019

037

ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF NATURAL DISASTERS ON INTANGIBLE
CULTURAL HERITAGE IN EASTERN REGION, MONGOLIA
Saruul Arslan, Enkhbat Galbadrakh, and Ankhsanaa Ganbold

057

ROLES OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN RELATION TO DISASTERRISK REDUCTION IN BANTUL DISTRICT, SPECIAL REGION OF YOGYAKARTA,INDONESIA
Benny Usdianto, Fransiskus Asisi Sukoeksi Widanto, Agatia Wenan Tyawati,
Laras Aridhini, and Masami Okabe

069

SAFEGUARDING INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE FROM DISASTERS AND
CLIMATE CHANGE: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY IN IFUGAO, PHILIPPINES
Fatima Gay J. Molina and Marlon M. Martin

083

DISASTER RISK ASSESSMENT AND PREVENTION FOR INTANGIBLE CULTURALHERITAGE (ICH): INTRODUCING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE
DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT CENTER, JAPANTomomi Goto

107

iii

AC RO NYMS A N D A BB RE VI ATI ON S

iv

CCA

Climate Change Adaptation

Covid-19

Coronavirus disease 2019

DRM

Disaster Risk Management

DRR

Disaster Risk Reduction

FPIC

Free, Prior, and Informed Consent

ICH

Intangible Cultural Heritage

IRCIInternational Research Centre for Intangible
Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region

NICH

National Institutes for Cultural Heritage

UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific andCultural Organization

UNISDR

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction

2003 Convention

Convention for the Safeguarding of theIntangible Cultural Heritage

UNDERSTANDING INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
IN THE CONTEXT OF NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS
SUMMARY OF THE IRCI PROJECT ‘RESEARCH ON ICH SAFEGUARDING AND
DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT’ (FY 2020–2023)

Yoko Nojima 1

INTRODUCTION
Since 2016, the International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the
Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI) has been conducting research on the theme of intangible
cultural heritage (ICH) and disaster risk management (DRM) since 2016. This was also
the period when UNESCO started to emphasize ICH in post-conflict and post-disastersituations2. In Japan, a significant number of efforts have been focused on therevitalization of local ICH practices in the Tohoku region after the Great East Japan
Earthquake and Tsunami of 11 March 2011 (Takakura and Takizawa, 2014; Takakura
and Yamaguchi, 2018; Hashimoto and Hayashi, 2016).
The initial phase of the project (FY 2016–2018)3 involved exploring the relationshipbetween ICH and disasters. While trying to better understand how ICH is damaged byvarious disasters, the project highlighted the positive aspects of ICH contributing to
the post-disaster recovery of the communities as well as to better preparedness(Iwamoto, Ohnuki, and Nojima, 2018). The project also encouraged the participationof DRM specialists in the project activities, and the discussion at the workshop held in
Sendai in 2018 led to the development of the ‘Statements and Recommendations for
Safeguarding ICH in Disasters and Mobilising ICH for Disaster Risk Reduction’ (Iwamoto
and Nojima, 2019).
Based on these recommendations, current phase of the project started in FY 2020. In
2020, the world was experiencing an unexpected and unprecedented crisis triggeredby the COVID-19 pandemic, and the project took a rather slow start in developing its
activities, as meetings with people and travelling were restricted for more than a year.
Anticipating that the imposed international travel ban might last for a long period, IRCI
needed to develop activities based on desk studies and online communications
instead of planning case studies based on field research. This eventually enabled IRCI
to develop a tool or methodology to estimate and understand how ICH could be1
2

3International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI)UNESCO’s initiatives began with the desk study (Wilson and Ballard, 2017), and eventuallyculminated in the adoption of the ‘Operational principles and modalities for safeguarding
intangible cultural heritage in emergencies’ at the eighth session of the General Assembly in
September 2020. https://ich.unesco.org/en/operational-principles-and-modalities-inemergencies-01143
Preliminary Research on ICH Safeguarding and Disaster-Risk Management in the Asia-Pacific Region(FY 2016–2017), and the Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop on ICH and Natural Disasters (FY 2018).

UNDERSTANDING INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS:SUMMARY OF THE IRCI PROJECT ‘RESEARCH ON ICH SAFEGUARDING AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT’ (FY 2020–2023)

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impacted by disasters and how certain aspects of ICH could contribute to the processof disaster risk reduction (DRR). By creating a worksheet in the form of a table or
matrix, the desk study was conducted in FY 2021 in cooperation with researchers andresearch organizations in eight countries: Bangladesh, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia,
Philippines, Vanuatu, and Viet Nam, which enabled the collaborators of the project tohave a better understanding of ICH in relation to natural hazards and disasters,
including disaster risks along with how ICH would be affected and how it could playpositive roles at what stage of DRM cycle. Subsequently, the project conducted casestudies after reviewing the results of the desk study through online working sessions(FY 2022). In FY 2023, the results of the case studies carried out by the collaborators
were brought together at the final workshop held in September 2023 to havein-depth discussion. This publication is the compilation of the outcomes of casestudies conducted throughout the project and elaborated reflecting the final
discussion at the workshop.
This introductory chapter summarizes these step-by-step activities, with the
expectation that specific processes can be referenced as a guide for establishingbaseline information and further activities. By reviewing the implementation ofactivities, this introduction also summarizes the current state of ICH safeguarding in
the context of DRM, including possible tools and frameworks that could be utilized todevelop plans and actions to safeguard ICH and mobilize ICH for the DRR ofcommunities.

PROJECT ACTIVITIESAssessing the Potential Risks and Effectiveness of ICH in Relation to Natural Hazards
and Disasters (FY 2021–2022)
A desk study (FY 2021)
This activity was designed to be carried out as a desk study to assess the potential
risks and positive aspects of ICH in the context of natural hazards and disasters. As
noted above, this was an alternative means of making progress in the project undercircumstances largely constrained by the COVID-19 pandemic. To carefully examine thedisaster risk of ICH and its effectiveness, different hazard types and ICH domains were
examined individually. Importantly, the study considered the DRM cycle ofpreparedness, immediate response, and recovery, which correspond to before, during,
and after a disaster, to identify how ICH would be damaged or become effective atwhat stage of the disaster process.
To facilitate this desk study, hazard/disaster types as listed in Table 1 were provided as
options, and collaborators from the Asia-Pacific region selected three hazard types
that were of great concern in their respective countries. To focus on the hazards anddisasters affecting the environment and ecosystems, armed conflict was excluded fromthe scope of the study.

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NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
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Table 1

Hazard/disaster types listed for the study

Earthquake

Coastal erosion

Insect/animal infestation

Volcanic Eruption

Cyclone/typhoon

EpidemicLandslide

TornadoSnow/Ice-related hazard

Flooding

Others(including man-made hazards)

TsunamiDrought

Storm surge

Wildfire

Expecting that the disaster impact and the role of ICH would differ depending on thenature of ICH, this study treated a wide range of ICH separately, following the five ICH
domains distinguished in the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage (the 2003 Convention). They are:1) oral tradition and expressions2) performing arts
3) social practices, rituals, and festive events4) knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, and5) traditional craftsmanship.
Furthermore, the following three modalities were proposed to closely examine ICH
elements: people who are at the core of any ICH knowledge and practice; place
including sites, facilities, and environments that supply natural resources related to thepractice; and object or instruments associated with the practice of ICH, including raw
materials.
Incorporating all these factors, tables or worksheets as shown in Figure 1 weredeveloped and used in the study. Researchers from the Asia-Pacific region who
participated in the project (see Table 2) selected three types of hazards/disasters, andfilled in the tables for all five ICH domains.

Figure 1

Worksheet structure and component

The basic structure of the worksheet is shown in front. For each disaster type, five separate sheets corresponding to different ICH domains were created.

UNDERSTANDING INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS:SUMMARY OF THE IRCI PROJECT ‘RESEARCH ON ICH SAFEGUARDING AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT’ (FY 2020–2023)

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Filling out these tables for specific hazard/disaster types was considered helpful inunderstanding the potential risk of disasters on ICH in a holistic manner, especially
how and what aspects of ICH would be damaged by a certain type of disaster, and at
what stage of disaster it would happen. The consideration of the disaster process isextremely important for ICH, because there are many instances in which elements of
ICH have been rather negatively impacted in the process of post-disaster recovery andreconstruction, as typically found in the influx of external materials and objects as partof disaster-relief and recovery assistance, replacing existing local materials andassociated practices (e.g. traditional architecture replaced by modern houses withbricks and metals or wooden boats replaced by fibreglass boats, leading to the loss ofknowledge and practice).
This exercise was also considered effective in recognizing the active roles of ICH, which
serves as a baseline for developing specific plans for mobilizing ICH for communitybased DRR. In addition, it is also expected that contributions from various countries in
the Asia-Pacific region will refine the quality of this ICH–hazard/disaster table, which,ultimately, will become a reference and general tool for identifying ICH risks in thecontext of natural hazards and disasters.
Online workshop based on the desk study (FY 2022)
The results of the desk study conducted in seven countries in the Asia-Pacific region
were shared through an online workshop, which was divided into two sessions held on
5 August 2022 (Session 1) and 7 September 2022 (Session 2)(Annex 1). In Session 1,
the participants focused on the impact of natural hazards and disasters on ICH andhow to safeguard ICH from disasters. In Session 2, in contrast, participants discussed
active roles of ICH for DRR.
In addition to the reports and discussions on these themes, R. Kodani of the Cultural
Heritage Disaster Management Center, National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan,
introduced its activities and efforts to safeguard ICH in Japan as an icebreaker for theworkshop. Recalling the first notable effort in which bulls used for traditional bullfights
were rescued at the request of a local community hit by the Chuetsu Earthquake in
2004, he outlined how ICH safeguarding has developed in Japan as part of heritage
rescue programmes and the ongoing effort of the center to develop a strategy forsafeguarding ICH at all stages of disaster risk management (DRM)4,5.
While the importance of social practices, rituals, and performing arts for enhancing
community cohesion as well as traditional crafts as a means of re-establishinglivelihoods in the recovery process was reconfirmed, a wide range of ICH was

4

5

004

Kodani, R. (2022). Commitments of the Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management Center(CHDRMS) to Safeguard Intangible Cultural Heritage against Disasters. A paper presented at
Session 1 of the Workshop of the Research on ICH Safeguarding and Disaster Risk Management,
Online, 5 August 2022.
A further refined version of the DRM framework for ICH developed by the center was presented
by T. Goto, a researcher associated with the center, at the final workshop in September 2023,
which has been included in this volume.

NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION

considered effective for disaster preparedness, such as oral traditions, songs, andperformances to convey messages regarding how to prepare for and respond to a
specific type of disaster; traditional food preparation and storage to survive times ofdisaster; and a wide array of traditional knowledge and practices predicting climaterelated hazards. However, such knowledge and practices that could potentiallycontribute to community resilience require the processes of transmission andenactment to be effectively utilized as a means of DRR. Given that such knowledge isoften on the verge of disappearing due to modernization, market economies, andassociated lifestyle changes, it is important to revisit and safeguard such elements bydeveloping and implementing community-based action plans.
Field Research Assessing the Potential Risks and Effectiveness of ICH in Relation to
Natural Hazards and Disasters (FY 2022)
After holding an online workshop and reflecting on the desk study results, eachcollaborator conducted field research to assess the risks and positive aspects of ICH in
the context of natural hazards and disasters at the community level. All the
researchers who undertook the desk study continued their commitment to andresearch for the IRCI project (Table 2). Reflecting on the results of the desk study, theTable 2 L ist of researchers in the Asia-Pacific region contributed to the project through case studies
Country

Researcher

Affiliation

Focus of case study

Bangladesh

Saifur RashidDhaka University

Impact of costal erosion andflood on ICH in Sunamganj andShyamnagar Upazilas

Fiji

Melaia Tikoitoga

Ministry of iTaukei Affairs

ICH in Koro and Bua provinces
affected by cyclones

Indonesia

Benny Usdianto

RedR Indonesia

The roles of performing artsand other ICH in DRR in Bantul
district

Mongolia

Saruul Arslan

National Center for
Cultural Heritage

Traditional knowledge, techniques, and practices associated with herding in easternregion in relation to drought,
dzud, and wildfire

Philippines

Fatima Gay J. Molina

Mobilizing Futures
Interdisciplinary
Research andDevelopment

Ifugao ICH in relation tohazards such as cyclones,
landslides, flashfloods, andearthquakes

Vanuatu

Edson Willie

Vanuatu Cultural Centre

ICH of Ambae communities
affected by volcanic eruption
and evacuation

Viet Nam

Phan Phuong Anh

Vietnam National
University

Fishing-related ICH in Binh Dinhprovince and climate hazards(flood, inundation, storm,
cyclone, salt-water intrusion,
temperature change)

UNDERSTANDING INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS:SUMMARY OF THE IRCI PROJECT ‘RESEARCH ON ICH SAFEGUARDING AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT’ (FY 2020–2023)005

researchers selected specific research locations and communities concerned with ICH
and certain types of hazards/disasters, and their research plan was submitted to IRCI
immediately after the online workshop in September 2022.
For the purpose of clarifying and guiding the direction of research, general guidelines(Annex 2) were provided by IRCI, with the following goals:
1) Identify varieties of ICH in the community, including knowledge and practices
related to DRR.
2) Identify the disaster risks faced by the community in general, and assess
associated risks on ICH.
3) Raise awareness among community members and ICH practitioners on a) disasterrisks for their own ICH, and b) elements of ICH that are helpful for DRR.
4) Discuss with the community a) how to reduce the risk of disaster that would
damage ICH, and b) how to utilize ICH for the community’s DRR, to develop
action plans.
By carrying out case studies focusing on specific communities, ICH elements, andhazard and disaster risk situations, it was expected that the methodology used for thedesk study would be refined to serve as a tool to understand the community’s ICH
and associated disaster risks, which should be a critical step for communities tosafeguard their own ICH. At the same time, collaboration between the ICH and DRM
fields was encouraged, especially in the process of working in the communities, assuch opportunities for dialogue were expected to contribute to the development ofpractical action plans for ICH safeguarding and DRR. This research should haverequired close interaction with and the inclusion of local communities, as community
members play a primary role in identifying their ICH and how their ICH might beaffected by disasters. An important role of researchers in such research activities
would be to reorganize a wide range of knowledge and practices held by community
members to facilitate discussions on how to safeguard their ICH from disasters andhow to utilize their ICH to enhance their resilience.
Actual fieldwork was carried out in the respective countries from October 2022 toFebruary 2023, and the field report was submitted to IRCI by the end of FY 2022
(March 2023). Due to various limiting factors such as the budget, human resources,
and the time that could be spent for undertaking research in the field, it was difficult
to achieve all the goals as targeted in the project. However, these case studies
reflected a wide range of ICH situations affected by various hazards and disasters,
including cases indicating adaptation to changing climates and environments. The
findings of the case studies were brought together to the final workshop in FY 2023
for comprehensive discussions summarizing the project, and the field report was
eventually elaborated as a research paper to be included in this volume.
Research on ICH Safeguarding and Disaster Risk Management: Final Workshop (FY2023)
The workshop structure
The final workshop, ‘Research on ICH Safeguarding and Disaster Risk Management:
Final Workshop’ was organized in Nara during 27–29 September 2023 to have006

NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION

comprehensive discussions for safeguarding ICH from disasters and mobilizing ICH for
DRR, while sharing the outcomes of case studies conducted in FY 2022. The workshop
was organized in cooperation with the Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management
Centre under the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH), and the Nara
National Research Institute for Cultural Properties was used as the workshop venue.
Since the inception of the desk study in FY 2021, collaborating researchers in the AsiaPacific region have taken the same steps following the common guidelines developedby IRCI. Therefore, this workshop was designed as an opportunity to discuss, among
these collaborators and a few resource persons, issues and challenges for developing
community-centred actions for ICH safeguarding and DRR in the Asia-Pacific region andto further elaborate the framework for safeguarding ICH against disasters. The mainpresentations and discussions among participants were held in the first two days,
while the last day was spent on an excursion related to heritage restoration
techniques in Japan and experiencing the heritage-nature linkage (see Annex 3 for the
programme of the first two days and the list of participants).
On DAY 1, the results of the field research were presented by project collaborators in
the Asia-Pacific region. The workshop was also an opportunity for them to obtain
feedback on their research and exchange opinions, which encouraged them to revise
their report as a research paper (see the following contributions in this volume for the
final output of the case studies). In the final session of the day, a special report wasprovided by the Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management Centre sharing its efforts
to establish the DRM framework for ICH at the national level, which could be seen as
one of the best models reflecting the efforts for and experiences of rescuing ICH after
various disasters that hit Japan (see the contribution by Goto, this volume).
Group discussion: steps and tools to enhance community’s capacity to safeguard
ICH and mobilize ICH for DRR
DAY 2 began with a breakout session in the morning. Reflecting on the experiences
and outcomes of their case studies, all participants, including collaborators andresource persons, were divided into two groups (A and B) to discuss feasible steps forenhancing the community’s capacity to safeguard its own ICH and/or mobilize ICH for
community-based DRR. The outcomes of the group discussions are summarized asfollows:
Group A proposed the importance of having an ICH inventory as a baseline and thestep-by-step identification of threats/challenges, potential roles of ICH, priorities of
ICH, opportunities for safeguarding, and feasible actions to be implemented. To
facilitate these procedures, various tools and guidelines would be necessary todevelop ICH inventories, safeguarding plans, risk and vulnerability assessments for the
ICH sector, and integrated ICH-DRM plans that should be community-based. While thefirst two are general tools for safeguarding ICH, the other two require further
examination and elaboration. Opportunities for safeguarding ICH could include existing
ICH management policies and the willingness of communities to promote theirheritage, where DRM aspects could be incorporated. Existing DRM planning andprogrammes at the community and national levels could also provide opportunities

UNDERSTANDING INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS:SUMMARY OF THE IRCI PROJECT ‘RESEARCH ON ICH SAFEGUARDING AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT’ (FY 2020–2023)

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for ICH safeguarding. As feasible actions to be taken, Group 1 listed the
documentation of ICH practices and traditional knowledge to raise awareness among
young people; the support for the communities to get their ICH inscribed on thenational list; the programming of capacity-building on DRR for ICH practitioners; andthe application of a community-based DRM approach for the better integration of ICH
and DRR.
Group B listed the following steps and opportunities for the transmission of ICH as
significant: strengthening ethnic identity; utilizing technologies for ICH transmission;
replication of systems such as Philippines’ School of Living Traditions, rewriting/sharing mythologies, dramas, games, and songs so that children can understand them;
organizing festivals combining new approaches to introduce ICH to the younger
generation; organizing forums using children’s games with partners/representatives of
ICH; integrating ICH in information and educational campaigns for DRR; andcomposing scripts and poems to disseminate DRR messages. To mobilize ICH for
community-based DRR, the following steps and ideas were suggested: integrating ICH
in DRM planning; organizing a technical working group bringing together DRM and ICH
practitioners; officially combining DRM and ICH plans; utilizing evacuation centres asstorage space for ICH; replicating village resilience programmes (found in Indonesia
and the Philippines); developing local and national risk mapping; integrating theprocess of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) in DRM consultations; andinstitutionalizing the integration of ICH such as early warning systems in DRM. The
proposed tools included: the development and circulation of factsheets covering thehistory of disasters with scientific information; recordings of ICH, including social
media and visual ethnographies; utilization of scrips, poems, and games todisseminate DRR; utilization of ICH maps to facilitate discussion; and the developmentof policy briefs for the government to promote revenue generation for ICH.
Experts’ reflection and final discussion
Before proceeding to the final discussion, two experts provided reflections. As an ICH
expert who has been working with UNESCO in the development and implementationof programmes for ICH in emergencies as well as the guidance note for living heritageand climate actions, Chris Ballard (Australian National University) introduced the‘People, Place, Story’ model to look into heritage (Wilson and Ballard, 2017) that has
been tailored for the capacity-building programmes of UNESCO to understand ICH anddisasters. Acknowledging the interwoven nature of tangible and intangible heritage, heemphasized the importance of understanding how ICH is articulated and transmitted,
and thinking about which aspects of ICH practices are impacted.
The reflection by Vu Canh Toan (ISET–Vietnam), a DRM specialist and collaborator on
the case study in Viet Nam, expanded the focus of discussions on climate change andhuman factors, such as urbanization and deforestation, which have made hazards
more extreme, frequent, and unpredictable. According to him, there is no frameworkthat is sufficiently easy to facilitate better ICH-DRM integration and collaboration. He
noted that there are still knowledge gaps for ICH–DRM integration: insufficient DRM
knowledge and capacity in the culture sector, and a simplified understanding of ICH
and traditional knowledge and limited attention to the social capital aspect of ICH in

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the DRM and climate change adaptation (CCA) sector. He also clarified the importanceof understanding not only risk but also vulnerability to build resilience, which to ICH
researchers sounded like an effective concept to better understand the situation of
ICH in relation to disasters.
Subsequently, the final discussion started by asking questions on the collaboration
between ICH and DRM, and how ICH could be successfully integrated into DRR. At the
government level, participants noted factors such as a limited capacity forintersectoral cooperation and insufficient understanding of ICH among administrators.
Institutionalizing the participation of ICH specialists in the national framework for DRR
could be seen as a positive move. Considering that the Sendai Framework for Disaster
Risk Reduction (UNISDR, 2015) mentions cultural heritage but not ‘intangible’ cultural
heritage, some participants called for further advocating the importance of ICH andstrengthening the cultural sector’s own framework for DRR. Furthermore, consideringthat ICH is related to tourism, urban planning, and resilience, a multidimensional
approach involving various sectors would be plausible.
Several opportunities for ICH–DRM integration have been mentioned. For instance,
community-based DRM could be an ideal ground for integrating ICH, as it requires theprocess of risk and vulnerability assessments by local communities. Ingigenous
knowledge is extremaly important in discussions on climate change adaptation (CCA).
This context could provide an opportunity for ICH, because indigenous knowledge isICH. The discussion then shifted to the issue of local/indigenous/traditional
knowledge, with a participant questioning why it would be necessary to introduce a
new term such as ICH into the discussion on CCA, when alternative terms such as
traditional knowledge were already in use. In response, it was pointed out that theterm ICH is much broader and includes a wide range of knowledge and practices andthat using the term ICH could encourage a systemic understanding of knowledge.
It was also pointed out that some ICH elements highlighted in the presentations aseffective for DRR, such as climate knowledge, agricultural knowledge and practices,and food preparation, are often not considered as heritage by communities, as they
are a part of daily life. In this respect, DRM, CCA, and SDGs are all good opportunities
to advocate that these mandane everyday activities all ICH. Towards the end of the
discussion, there was an encouraging comment highlighting the power ofcommunities, stating that traditional knowledge, social knowledge and cohesion, andresilience could not be supplied by the government.

A WAY FORWARD
The safeguarding of ICH in the context of disasters and emergencies has madeconsiderable progress over the past 10 years or so. The most notable development
would be the emphasis on the preparedness phase, in addition to supporting therestoration and revitalization of ICH in the post-disaster response and recovery phases.
In this project, activities were designed to enhance the community’s capacity andawareness concerning their ICH and disasters so that community members and ICH
practitioners could be more aware of the disaster risk faced by their ICH and be better

UNDERSTANDING INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS:SUMMARY OF THE IRCI PROJECT ‘RESEARCH ON ICH SAFEGUARDING AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT’ (FY 2020–2023)009

prepared for potential disasters in the future.
Interestingly, somewhat similar frameworks have been developed: by IRCI as used inthis project, by Ballard as used in the UNESCO capacity-building programme, and by
the Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management Center in Japan (Goto, this volume).
All have attemped to examine and safeguard ICH by considering the DRM cycle ofpreparedness, response, and recovery. Major differences were in how ICH was
examined. The ‘People, Place, and Story’ model being developed by Ballard andWilson (2017) would have the most comprehensive view of heritage, acknowledging
tangible-intangible and the importance of articulation and transmission. In the current
project, however, IRCI decided to simply distinguish ‘People, Place, and Object’ ascomponents of ICH. In the model elaborated by Goto, ‘Opportunity’ has been added
to ‘People, Place, and Object’. Having such multiple models might be confusing, but
the significance of these models is that they enable us to carefully examine how anelement of ICH is structured and identify the aspects that are vulnerable to disasters.
In the desk study phase of the project, it was recognized that examining every ICH
domain was painstaking and time-consuming. However, if the number of ICH elements
is limited to a specific element, it would be more straightforward to assess thepotential risk. It is hoped that the model used in this project could be further
examined and refined as a tool for assessing potential risks and/or effectiveness to bebetter prepared for future disasters.
Even though this project has finally come to an end, there are still many challenges in
integrating ICH with DRR, as pointed out in the discussion of the final workshop. It is
encouraging that some participants expressed their willingness to inform theirgovernments about including ICH within the national DRM framework. However,further capacity-building programmes are necessary to strengthen the national
capacity to safeguard ICH from disasters. Further collaboration between ICH–DRM is
also necessary to mainstream ICH as an effective tool for enhancing community
resilience. As noted in the discussion, climate change would be a good opportunity totackle this aspect, and IRCI intends to apply its knowledge and expertise to addressongoing climate change, emphasizing the role of ICH as a driver of adaptation andresilience.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This project was implemented by IRCI as part of the activities of the International Collaborative Project
for the Safeguarding of Cultural Properties, commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan, for
FY 2020–2023.
The following researchers in Japan supported the development of project activities, especially in theearly stages: Taku Iida (National Museum of Ethnology), Shosuke Sato (International Institute ofDisaster Science, Tohoku University), Hiroki Takakura (Center for Northeast Asian Studies, Tohoku
University), Tomo Ishimura (Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties). Ryusuke Kodani
and Tomomi Goto of the Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management Centre, NICH, cooperated in the
project by providing case studies from Japan and co-organizing the workshop. Collaborating
researchers from the Asia-Pacific region, namely, Saruul Arslan (National Center for Cultural Heritage,
Mongolia), Fatima Gay J. Molina (Philippines), Phan Phuong Anh (Vietnam National University), Saifur

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Rashid (Dhaka University), Melaia Tikoitoga (Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, Fiji), Benny Usdianto (RedR
Indonesia), and Richard Shing and Edson Willie (Vanuatu Cultural Centre) enthusiastically continued
their commitment to the project from the desk study in FY 2021 to the publication of this volume,and made significant contributions. Chris Ballard (Australian National University) and Vu Canh Toan
(Institute for Social and Environmental Transition–Vietnam) also provided productive comments during
the final workshop reflecting their expertise. The project also benefited from occasional reporting andexchanges with UNESCO.
Finally, the implementation of the project over four years would not have been possible without theengagement of IRCI staff members. In particular, Masami Okabe and Kazue Sasaki (both former
associate fellows at IRCI) should be acknowledged as project coordinators who actively supported thisresearch project by developing project activities and communicating closely with collaborators andresource personnel.

REFERENCES
Hashimoto, H. and Hayashi, I. (Eds.) (2016). Saigaibunka no keishou to souzou [Transmission andcreation of disaster culture]. Kyoto: Rinsenshoten (in Japanese).
Iwamoto, W., & Nojima, Y. (Eds.). (2019). Proceedings of the Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop for
Intangible Cultural Heritage and Natural Disasters: 7-9 December 2018, Sendai, Japan. Osaka:
International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI).
Iwamoto, W., Ohnuki, M., & Nojima, Y. (Eds.). (2018). Preliminary Research on ICH Safeguarding andDisaster Risk Management in the Asia-Pacific Region. Project Report for FY 2016-2017. Osaka:
International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI).
Takakura, H. and Takizawa, K. (Eds.) (2014). Mukeibunkaisan ga hisaisuru toiukoto:Hisaghinihondaishinsai to Miyagikenenganbu chiikishakai no minzokushi [What is the intangible
cultural heritage suffered by disaster?: Ethnography of Great East Japan Earthquake and Miyagi
coastal communities]. Tokyo: Sinsensha (in Japanese).
Takakura, H. and Yamaguchi, M. (Eds.) (2018). Sinsaigo no chiikibunka to hisaisha no minzokushi [Postdisaster local cultures and ethnography of the disaster-affected people]. Tokyo: Sinsensha (inJapanese).
UNISDR (2015). Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. https://www.undrr.org/
publication/sendai-framework-disaster-risk-reduction-2015-2030
Wilson, M. and Ballard, C. (2017). Safeguarding and Mobilising Intangible Cultural Heritage in theContext of Natural and Human-induced Hazards: Desk Study. Prepared for UNESCO’s Intangible
Cultural Heritage Section. https://ich.unesco.org/doc/src/38266-EN.pdf

UNDERSTANDING INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS:SUMMARY OF THE IRCI PROJECT ‘RESEARCH ON ICH SAFEGUARDING AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT’ (FY 2020–2023)

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Annex 1
Programme and the List of Participants of the Online Workshop of the Research on ICH
Safeguarding and Disaster Risk Management Project (5 August and 7 September 2022)

Programme
1st SessionTime

5 August 2022 13:00–16:00 (JST)

13:00–13:05

Opening remarks
IWAMOTO Wataru, Director-General, IRCI

13:05–13:20

Introduction to the workshop
NOJIMA Yoko, Head of Research Section, IRCI

13:20–13:50

Commitments of the Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management
Center to Protect Intangible Cultural Heritage from Disasters
KODANI Ryusuke, Supervising Manager, Cultural Heritage
Disaster Risk Management Center, NICH

13:50–14:00

Findings from the 2021 survey (1): Disaster risks threatening ICH
OKABE Masami, Associate Fellow, IRCI

14:00–15:50

Round Table Discussion
Theme: How to safeguard ICH from disasters?

15:50–16:00

Announcement of the 2nd session

2nd Session 7 September 2022 12:00–15:10 (JST)Time
12:00–12:05

Introduction to the 2nd session

12:05–12:15

Findings from the 2021 survey (2): Effectiveness of ICH for disasterrisk reduction

12:15–13:55

Round Table Discussion
Theme: Mobilising ICH for disaster risk reduction

13:55–14:05– break –14:05–15:05

Discussion in preparation for field research

15:05–15:10

Closing remarks

OKABE Masami, Associate Fellow, IRCIIWAMOTO Wataru, Director-General, IRCI

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List of Participants
Name

Title and Affiliation

Asia-Pacific participants
Saruul ARSLAN

Specialist, National Center for Cultural Heritage, Mongolia

Fatima Gay MOLINA

Founder, Mobilizing Futures Interdisciplinary Research andDevelopment, the Philippines

PHAN Phuong Anh

Senior lecture, Department of Anthropology, Vietnam National
University, Viet Nam

Saifur RASHID

Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Dhaka,Bangladesh

Melaia TIKOITOGA

Senior Administration Officer, Development Services Division,
Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, Fiji

Benny USDIANTO

Chief Executive Officer, RedR Indonesia

Edson WILLIE

Heritage Manager, Vanuatu Cultural Center, Vanuatu

Resource person in JapanIIDA Taku

Professor, National Museum of Ethnology

National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH), Japan
KODANI Ryusuke

Supervising Manager, Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk
Management Center

GOTO Tomomi

Researcher, Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management
Center

ISHIMURA Tomo

Head, Audio-Visual Documentation Section, Tokyo National
Research Institute for Cultural Properties

Secretariat: International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the
Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI)IWAMOTO Wataru

Director-General

NOJIMA Yoko

Head of Research Section

OKABE Masami

Associate Fellow

Dudko Anastasiia

Associate Fellow

Sasaki Kazue

Associate Fellow

UNDERSTANDING INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS:SUMMARY OF THE IRCI PROJECT ‘RESEARCH ON ICH SAFEGUARDING AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT’ (FY 2020–2023)

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Annex 2
Guidelines for Field Research Assessing the Potential Risks andEffectiveness of ICH in Relation to Natural Hazards and Disasters0) Obtain community’s consent before interviewing people
1) Understand the locality and community situations• Geographical settings: natural and social environment, accessibility, etc.
• Baseline information such as population, history, economy, etc.
2) Identify potential disasters and prioritize hazard types more concerned by the community
members• Listing past disaster experiences and having hazard maps would be helpful.
3) Identify ICH in the community• Five domains of ICH as outlined in the Convention may be used to explain the concept
of ICH.
• Note that ICH is not limited to the elements that are inscribed on the List of theConvention, but includes any knowledge, skills and practices that are held and transmitted by people for generations and are part of their culture and livelihood.
• In this process, also identify the ICH elements that are particularly important for thecommunity.
4) Identify disaster risks of ICH in the community, or how disasters affect the practice andtransmission of ICH• After identifying ICH in item 3) above, discuss with community members what aspects
of ICH would be affected (people/place/object), how, and at what stage of disaster(before/during/after).
5) Based on information obtained in above item 4), discuss with community members andICH practitioners how they could reduce the risks they have on their ICH, and possible
actions to be taken to this end.
6) Identify ICH that could play positive roles in the community’s DRR and resilience• Note that the knowledge and practices that are useful for DRR are often not considered as ICH. The result of desk survey may be helpful in identifying such ICH.
7) Based on information obtained in above item 6), discuss with community members how
such ICH could be mobilized for enhancing community resilience, and possible actions to
be taken.
8) Consider if the discussions initiated in items 4) and 6) above could be further elaborated
to develop a strategy for safeguarding ICH from disasters, and/or community-based DRR
incorporating ICH and its safeguarding.

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Annex 3
Programme and the List of Participants of the Final Workshop of the Research on ICH
Safeguarding and Disaster Risk Management Project (27–29 September 2023)

PROGRAMME SCHEDULE

DAY 1

27 September 2023

9:30–

Registration

10:00–10:10

OPENING
Opening remarks by:
MACHIDA Daisuke, Director‐General of IRCIDUONG Bich Hanh, UNESCO Beijing Office

10:10–10:25

INTRODUCTION TO THE WORKSHOP
Yoko NOJIMA, IRCI

10:25–12:10

REPORTING OF THE RESULT OF FIELD RESEARCH (1)25 minutes presentation, followed by 10 minutes Q&As

1025 ICH Safeguarding and Disaster Risk Management in Bangladesh: A Study
Assessing the Potential Risks and Effectiveness of ICH in the DRM Context
Saifur RASHID, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
1100 Field Research on ‘ICH Safeguarding and Disaster Risk Management’
Mongolia: Addressing ‘Dzud’ as a Natural Hazard through Safeguarding andDisaster Risk Management
Saruul ARSLAN, National Center for Cultural Heritage, Mongolia
1135 Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Context of Disasters and Climate Change:
A Case Study of a Fishing Community in Central Vietnam
PHAN Phuong Anh, Vietnam National University, Hanoi
VU Canh Toan, Institute for Social and Environmental Transition – ISET
Vietnam
12:10–13:10

Lunch Break

13:10–15:30

REPORTING OF THE RESULT OF FIELD RESEARCH (2)1310 Fiji (online)
Melaia TIKOITOGA, Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, Fiji
1345 Assessing the Potential Risk and Effectiveness of ICH in Relation to Natural
Disasters, A case study of West Ambae, Penama Province, Vanuatu
Edson WILLIE, Vanuatu Cultural Centre
1420 The Roles of Performing Arts and Intangible Cultural Heritage in Relation to
Disaster Risk Reduction in Indonesia
Benny USDIANTO, RedR Indonesia
OKABE Masami, Urban‐Culture Research Center, Osaka Metropolitan
University

UNDERSTANDING INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS:SUMMARY OF THE IRCI PROJECT ‘RESEARCH ON ICH SAFEGUARDING AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT’ (FY 2020–2023)

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1455 Safeguarding ICH: An Ethnographic Study of the Ifugao Experience in thePhilippines
Fatima Gay J. MOLINA, Mobilizing Futures Interdisciplinary Research andDevelopment016

15:30–15:45

Coffee/Tea Break

15:45–16:45

SPECIAL REPORT
Disaster Risk Assessment and Prevention for ICH: Introducing the activities ofCultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management Centre, Japan
GOTO Tomomi, Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management Center

16:45

End of DAY 1

DAY 2

28 September 2023

9:30–12:00

BREAKOUT SESSION
Ideas for developing community‐based action plans and measures for
safeguarding ICH and incorporating ICH for community’s DRR, including
possible tools‐ Participants are divided into 2 groups

12:00–13:00

Lunch Break

13:00–14:00

DISCUSSION (1)Possible processes and tools for safeguarding ICH in the context of disasters
Presenting the result of breakout session (15 minutes presentation x 2),
followed by discussion

14:00–14:40

REFLECTION BY EXPERTS
Chris BALLARD, Australian National University
VU Canh Toan, Institute for Social and Environmental Transition – ISET
Vietnam

14:40–14:55

Coffee/Tea Break

14:55–16:30

DISCUSSION (2)Challenges to be addressed in the future, such as:‐ further strengthening the collaboration with DRM field;‐ perspectives to cope with/adapt to the ongoing climate change; and so on

16:30–16:45

CLOSING
Closing remarks by:
KOHDZUMA Yohsei, Director, Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management
Center
MACHIDA Daisuke, Director‐General, IRCI

16:45

Workshop closed

NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONLIST OF PARTICIPANTS

Name

Affiliation

Collaborators in the Asia‐Pacific Region
Saruul ARSLAN

National Center for Cultural Heritage, Mongolia

Fatima Gay MOLINA

Mobilizing Futures Interdisciplinary Research and Development,
Philippines

PHAN Phuong Anh

Department of Anthropology, Vietnam National University, Viet Nam

Saifur RASHID

Department of Anthropology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Melaia TIKOITOGA(online participation) Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, Fiji

Benny USDIANTO

RedR, Indonesia

Edson WILLIE

Vanuatu Cultural Centre

Resource persons
Chris BALLARD

Australian National University, Australia

DUONG Bich Hanh

UNESCO Beijing Office

IIDA Taku

National Museum of Ethnology, Japan

OKABE Masami

Urban‐Culture Research Center, Osaka Metropolitan University

VU Canh Toan

Institute for Social and Environmental Transition, Vietnam

National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH), Japan
KOHDZUMA Yohsei

Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management Centre

KODANI Ryusuke

Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management Centre

GOTO Tomomi

Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management Centre

ISHIMURA Tomo

Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties

IRCI Secretariat
MACHIDA Daisuke

Director‐General

NOJIMA Yoko

Head of Research Section

ISHITSUBO Naoki

Chief Executive Clerk

YAO Teruki

Executive Clerk

IKEDA Akiko

Associate Fellow

TSUJI Takashi

Associate Fellow

YAMAMOTO Hitomi

Associate Fellow

UNDERSTANDING INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS:SUMMARY OF THE IRCI PROJECT ‘RESEARCH ON ICH SAFEGUARDING AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT’ (FY 2020–2023)

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INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CONTEXT OFDISASTERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
A CASE STUDY OF A FISHING COMMUNITY IN VIET NAM

Phan Phuong Anh 1 and Vu Canh Toan 2

INTRODUCTION
Viet Nam is very vulnerable to climate-related hazards especially storm and flooding.
The central coastal area is considered as one of the most vulnerable regions.
Therefore, many adaptation and disaster risk reduction related studies have been
conducted in this region. However, limited attention has been paid to investigating therelation between natural hazards and Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).
In this study, we focus on assessing the potential risks of ICH in relation to climaterelated hazards and the effectiveness of ICH in Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in the
coastal province of Binh Dinh, in central Viet Nam. The area is well-known for goodpractices (compared to many other local communities) in preserving local rituals
associated with offshore fishing activities considered as the main livelihood that arehighly exposed to hazards at sea.
The main objectives of the study are:–	To identify the natural hazards that encounter the community in their life athome and in their offshore fishing activities.
–	To examine the typologies of ICH of the coastal villages–	To assess the potential risks of ICH in relation to natural hazards and theeffectiveness of ICH in DRM.
This study reveals the potential disaster risks that ICH encounters and highlights thesignificant role that cultural aspects play in Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) andDRM. Our effort also contributes to enhance community’s awareness about theimportant role of ICH in DRM and provides valuable lessons about mobilizing culture
for CCA and DRM.

STUDY AREA AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGYThe Fishing Community of Vinh Loi
The field research was conducted in the Vinh Loi fishing village of My Thanh
commune, Phu My district, Binh Dinh province, and focused on three most populated
12

Department of Anthropology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH), Viet Nam National
University (VNU), Hanoi.
Institute for Social and Environmental Transition (ISET)INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF DISASTERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE:A CASE STUDY OF A FISHING COMMUNITY IN VIET NAM

019

hamlets including Vinh Loi 1, Vinh Loi 2 and Vinh Loi 3. These villages were identified
based on our consultation with provincial partners working on ICH at the Department
of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Binh Dinh province.
My Thanh commune has a natural area of 35.45 km² and consists of nine hamlets
with 2,856 households and 12,148 people. The commune has multiple economic
sectors including rice production, salt production, aquaculture and fishing with fishing
and aquaculture accounting for 80% of the economic structure of the commune.
Working age population was 5,073 persons in 2021, and the income per capita was
45,624 million Vietnamese Dong (VND) per person per year (around 2,000 USD) in
2021. The commune has 260 fishing boats, 219 of which have the capacity of over 90
horsepower (HP) with the total fishing production of 28,075 tons (Phu My District
People’s Committee, 2022).
Vinh Loi village was formed at the end of the 15th century (at the end of the Le
Dynasty), and the beginning of the 16th century. The village is bordered by the sea tothe east and the south, and De Gi lagoon to the west (Figure 1). Before theconstruction of De Gi bridge, the village was ‘awarded’ the name of ‘Vinh Loi nation’as it was isolated from other nearby areas. In September 2022, just before our first
field visit, the construction of De Gi Bridge that connects Cat Khanh commune (PhuCat district) with My Thanh commune over De Gi seaport was completed, which
reduced the travel time between the two communes by 40 minutes. In addition, thevillage used to be easily accessible by boat from the south of De Gi lagoon, where thefishing port is located. However, thanks to the new bridge, the village is now
connected directly to the strategic coastal road DT639 of Binh Dinh province that was
built to promote the development of marine economy and tourism (Figure 2).
The majority of the local population is officially known as Kinh people, which is the
major ethnic group in Viet Nam. They speak the national language that isVinh Loi 3
Vinh Loi 2
De Gi
lagoonVinh Loi 1

Figure 1 L ocation of My Thanh commune between the De Gi lagoon and the East Sea and thethree hamlets of Vinh Loi 1, Vinh Loi 2, Vinh Loi 3 (Source: google map, accessed 27
February 2023; https://www.google.com/maps)

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NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
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Figure 2
De Gi bridge(Source: vnexpress, accessed 25
February 2023; https://vnexpress.
net/duong-ven-bien-gan-2-000-tydong-o-binh-dinh-4567892.html)

Table 1

Population of Vinh Loi village and associated hamlets

Village# of households# of inhabitants

Vinh Loi 1

459

2,015

Vinh Loi 2

486

2,551

Vinh Loi 3

402

1,896

1,347

6,462

Total

Vietnamese3. The total inhabitants of these hamlets represent more than half of My
Thanh commune’s population (Table 1). Offshore fishing is the most important
livelihood of this community with 90% of households being fishermen. The other 10%
earn their living from agricultural production (about 80 households in Vinh Loi 1 and40 households in Vinh Loi 3 with about 1,000 m² of farmland for planting onion perhousehold) and other activities. Some of these households alternate fishing andfarming. A few households (17) in Vinh Loi 3 work on aquaculture (cobia and oyster
farming)4.
The De Gi lagoon has a total water surface of about 1,390 ha. In the north and thesoutheast of the lagoon, there are mountains that act as windshields creating ideal
shelters for boats. The lagoon receives water from the La Tinh River in the west andravines from surrounding mountains. This is an anchoring place for fishing vessels
from different districts of Binh Dinh province as well as of other nearby provinces,with frequent anchoring of vessels up to 2,000 (Figure 3).

34

In Viet Nam, Vietnamese language can also be referred to as ‘Kinh language’ when people want todistinguish it from the languages of other 53 minority ethic groups.
Data was provided by the village heads in October 2022.

INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF DISASTERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE:A CASE STUDY OF A FISHING COMMUNITY IN VIET NAM

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Figure 3
View of De Gi Lagoon from Co
Bac Temple(Photo: Phan Phuong Anh, 2022)

Local housing is generally solid with 2,565/2,655 households (96.5%) meeting thestandard housing as prescribed by the Ministry of Construction. The three hamlets ofVinh Loi have the highest percentage of solid house in the commune. The local
communities are well connected with nine telecommunication stations serving theinternet access needs of the entire commune (My Thanh Commune People’s
Committee, 2021).
Methods of Data Collection
The total fieldwork period was 15 days in October 2022, February and May 2023. The
research team included an anthropologist, a climate resilience expert, a local ICH
expert and a local research assistant (two men and two women).
The survey focused on practices of ICH and DRM. The main data collection methods
included focus group discussion and in-depth interview. Focus group discussions with
community actors were conducted to collect and verify information and to gather
different opinions on the issues related to the practice of ICH in relation tocommunity livelihood and relevant natural hazards. Groups usually consisted of four tofive people including the representatives of the commune people’s committee, theboard members of religious institutions, fishermen, and women who carry out manual
activities related to fishing such as repairing nets (Figure 4). Discussions covered
hazards and climate-related disasters in relation to community livelihoods and ICH
practices. Researchers interviewed several key informants such as the village heads,
the members of the local committee for flood and storm control, members of massorganizations such as women union and youth union, local medical staff, the elderly
and also young people involved in community activities, captains and crew membersof fishing boats, ritual masters and ritual performers. All group discussions (about adozen) and in-depth interviews (about forty) were recorded and transcribed foranalysis, including some informal talks. Some informants were consulted multiple
times. Observation method was also used during the field study especially during themost important fishing festival that takes place during five consecutive days in
May-June 2023.

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Figure 4
Vinh Loi women repairing net(Photo: Le Thi Anh Nguyet, 2022)

We also gathered secondary data to better understand the local community, including
information and documents on local geography, population, natural conditions, climate
patterns, income levels, DRM at the district and commune levels, socio-economic
development at the district and commune levels, the new rural program at thecommune level, and other basic conditions. Finally, the study also referenced ourprevious research results related to local ICH and ICH safeguarding, climate adaptationand the role of living culture in risk reduction.

ICH IN THE COMMUNITY
Whale Worship and Fishing Festival
Fishermen’s lives are grounded in religious beliefs and practices that are closely linked
to their livelihood and their safety at sea. At the Vinh Loi fishing community, the mostimportant ICH is the belief5 related to fishing activities facing two main risks including
bad/unproductive catch and storms at sea. Like fishermen in many other places along
the Vietnamese coast, Vinh Loi people worship whales, which is considered as their
god who saves the life of seafarers in distress at sea. Whales are venerated as thetutelary god of fishermen and there is an elected management board (Ban van,literally ‘Board-fishing village’) representing all fishermen to take care of the cult.
Associated with the belief of whale worship is the fishing festival (le hoi cau ngu/le5

We distinguish ‘belief’ and ‘religion’. While ‘religion’ refers to monotheism such as Buddhism or
Christianism, ‘belief’ can embrace faith in many sacred powers such as ancestors, spirits, natureelements. Number of people in Vinh Loi are Buddhists but all beliefs that we observed anddescribed in this paper are more popular than the monotheistic religion.

INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF DISASTERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE:A CASE STUDY OF A FISHING COMMUNITY IN VIET NAM

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nghinh Ong). Apart from this communal worship, most fishermen venerate lost souls(co bac) every time before going to sea. Other water gods and deities are also
venerated.
Fishermen’s lives are imbued with the beliefs related to seafaring profession involving
many dangers, especially cyclones and storms. First of all, they have a strong belief inthe power of the whale. When a dead whale washed up on the beach of a fishingvillage, the villagers organize a whale burial and sacrifice it as they do for the (human)
dead. The first man to find a whale body is considered the whale’s son and carry out
all funeral ceremonies and death rituals for the following three years as if the whale
was his parent. The whole community would work together to bury the whale, which
is usually done on high ground where the whale was found or near an existing whale
temple. It is believed that the person and the community who find the dying/deadwhale and conduct its mourning will be blessed.
Three years after the burial, whale bones are put in a small coffin and brought toworship at a temple called the mausoleum of God fish of the southern sea (Ong Nam
Hai). The dead anniversary of the whale in the following years usually becomes a day
for the fishing festival. The festival is associated with the whale worship, and manylegends and cultural lines are still recorded in folklore. Many informants in Vinh Loi
shared the stories of fishermen from sinking boats taken to the shore by whales.
Whales are worshiped as the protector god of fishermen. When fishermen encounter
dangers at sea caused by storms/cyclones, they pray for whales to save them. The
power of whales is transmitted through such anecdotes that the dying whale oftencries and whose tears can make people’s eyes brighter and their bodies stronger, or
someone had been punished after using a piece of whale bone to make medicine.
In Vinh Loi village, whales are worshiped at two sites: Tu Duong (literally, ‘Worshiping
Hall’6) and Lang Ong Dai (literally, ‘Great Sir Mausoleum’). Lang Ong Dai (Figure 5)
exists since 1791 as a whale temple worshipping all the whales died ashore in thisarea. One day, someone in the community was told in a dream that the biggest whale
wanted to be worshiped separately. Therefore, Tu Duong was built so that Lang Ong
Dai can be dedicated only to the great whale, while Tu Duong (Figure 6) becoming theplace to worship all the other whales, water gods and underwater saints. The firstroyal decree that officially approved the whale worship in this village dates back to1842 during the Nguyen dynasty. The building was subsequently damaged by wars andwas rebuilt in 2009.
The fishing festival is organized on two occasions in a year, on the 10th of the first
and the fourth lunar months. The first festival is held at Lang Ong Dai to ask for the
God fish’s blessing for a bountiful fishing year as well as for wealth, luck, and peace
for the villagers. In addition to activities such as the ceremony of prayers, dancing andsinging to celebrate the gods, and the ritual procession of boats, the festival oftenfeatures a boat race among three Vinh Loi villages and hat boi (traditional opera)
6024

In other parts of Viet Nam, especially in the northern regions, this word means the familial temple
for the ancestor worship.

NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
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Figure 5
Whale carcass inside Lang Ong Dai(Photo: Le Thi Anh Nguyet, 2022)

Figure 6
Whale temple (Tu Duong)(Photo: Le Thi Anh Nguyet, 2023)

singing for several nights. The second festival is held at Tu Duong to venerate all thewhales, which is the most important event of the year. It usually lasts for five days. Tu
Duong plays a central role in the community’s spiritual life. This site shelters a sacred
drum. On the lunar New Year’s Eve, truong van (head of the management board – banvan – of the sacred sites) beats the drums to celebrate the New Year. The drums are
only played on the occasions of this New Year’s Eve, fishing festivals, ritual days, andnotably when there is a storm. When there is a storm, ban van will beat the drums to
ask the whales to help the fishermen. It is said that the storm would stop coming andmove to another area after beating the drums7.
Traditional Operas Performed During Fishing Festivals (Hat Ba Trao and Hat Boi)
Traditional ritual arts such as hat ba trao and hat boi singing are performed during
fishing festivals. Although both terms include the verb hat meaning ‘to sing’, both
performances are designed as a form of ‘traditional opera’, combining singing with
7

Interview with Do Nhu, Y., the head of the management board of the sacred sites in Vinh Lci (Do,2022)

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dancing. Hat ba trao is performed by fishermen as a pure ritual, while hat boi isplayed by traditional opera troupes outside the community as an entertainment and apart of the closing ceremony of the festival.
Ba trao singing and dancing
A special feature of the fishing festival is the singing and dancing of ba trao (literally,ba ‘hold’ and trao ‘row’ => ‘boat rowing’). Ba trao singing and dancing is practiced bya group of selected fishermen consisting of 24–28 persons (Figure 7). The ba trao
scripts are similar across fishing villages and very close to the original script by Nguyen
Dieu, a traditional script opera writer from the early 19th century. His script has been
passed down through generations and used in many localities in the central coastal
region (Nguyen, 2019). In Vinh Loi village, ba trao singers and dancers often used thehand–written script religiously preserved in the main whale temple (Figure 8).
In addition to praising the merits and expressing fishermen’s thankfulness to whales,
the art of ba trao singing and dancing carries another equally important meaning,

Figure 7
Ba trao performance in front of
whale temple at fishing festival(Photo: Ngoc Nhuan, 2023)

Figure 8
The script of ba trao
(originated from 19th century)
relates the hardship of fisherman
work(Photo: Phan Phuong Anh, 2023)

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which is the opportunity to express thoughts and feelings of fishermen facing thechallenging life on the immense sea. In other words, ba trao singing and dancing
reflects the desire for a peaceful and prosperous life of the coastal community (ibid.)8.
Hat boi
While ba trao is performed by fishermen in the community, hat boi is performed by an
external troupe to entertain the community during the nights following the main
ritual. The lyrics of this traditional opera contain general stories intended to teachsocial etiquettes, educate good behaviors, promote goodness and nobility, and criticize
bad habits and vices. Each community chooses appropriate themes to perform at
fishing festivals. In Vinh Loi village, the show takes place for five consecutive nights
following the main praying ritual on the first day of the festival. Hat boi of Binh Dinhprovince has been inscribed in the national ICH representative list of Viet Nam in2014.
Veneration of Lost Souls
Another important belief is the faith in the power of lost souls who have died at sea,in the water realm, and in the mountains and forests. Before each boat trip,
fishermen always hold a worship at the wharf (cung ben) to pray for a safe trip andproductive catch. When they return, they also give thanks to the lost souls regardingwhether it was a productive trip or not. Offerings vary depending on the captains andalways include a bit of salt and some uncooked rice/raw rice. Worshipping can bedone at home on the day before the boat trip and always at the wharf before going to
the sea as well as on the boat. At sea, when there is no sight for a good catch,fishermen can make a silent prayer to ask for help even if there is no offering.
Worshiping lost souls in Viet Nam is extremely important because it is believed thatthe dead have the power to punish and protect the living (Meeker & Phan, 2021;
Sorrentino, 2018). For fishermen, this is even more true because of their constant fearof dying at sea. If that happens, their missing bodies become lost souls. Whales are
venerated as fishermen believe that whales would take singing to boats and fishermenin distress to shore. While whales worshipping is rather a community practice, lostsouls are worshipped by individual fisherman who always make offerings to lost soulsat the wharf and on fishing boats before going to the sea. In Vinh Loi village, thespirits also have a communal site of worship called Dinh Co Bac (literally, ‘Aunties andUncles Palace’)9. On the 8th day of the first lunar month, the responsible of the site(chu so) prepares offerings for the praying ceremony. People can also come to worshipon their own for personal purposes.

89

Ba trao art performed in several localities belonging to Quang Nam province has been inscribed inthe Viet Nam national representative list of ICH in 2013.
The worship site for lost souls can be found in other fishing villages in Viet Nam (Nguyen, 2022)
while lost souls are venerated together with other gods and ancestors in family ritual events or in
special occasion in the lunar calendar such as the 15th of the 7th month but they don’t have aworship site.

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In addition to these most important worshipping practices, fishermen believe in theprotection of other deities and gods such as the council of the water gods venerated
in So Truong, tutelary gods thanh hoang in So Dinh, goddesses (Lady of Jade Ba chua
Ngoc nho) and the Lady of Creek Ba chua Lach) in Lady Temple (Lang Ba) situated at
the mouth of the sea creek where fishermen pray for the protection for their trips,
and finally the Lady of Jade (Ba chua Ngoc lon) and other deities at So dam locatedon the mudflat towards the sea. When whales die in the nearby sea, they are often
washed up on this beach. Each worship site is placed under the responsibility of anelder who is selected annually by the management board (ban van).
Traditional Knowledge about Weather, Hazards, Fishing Environment and Fishing
Techniques
Offshore fishermen, especially those who aged 50 and over, have or remember being
imparted the knowledge about the marine environment, seafaring techniques andgeography, the knowledge of fish (e.g., species, habits, migration), and the knowledgeof predicting weather and hazard. For example, fishermen used to look at the stars,
the moon and the direction of the mountains to steer their boats. They can rely on
different sights in the sky (such as red sky, rainbow, stars flashing) to predict storms sotake appropriate actions afterward.
A small number of Vinh Loi fishermen work in the De Gi lagoon and near the shore,and sell their catch at the local market, while offshore fishermen sell their catch at thenearest port to their fish grounds. There are around a hundred small fishing boats inthe lagoon depending on the season. The nearshore fishermen in De Gi lagoon use
traditional fishing techniques and know the lagoon environment very well. For
example, they use wooden piles to fix and tie nets. When the tide recedes, the fish
follows the current and runs into the net. At night, fishermen go to the lagoon to pullup their nets. There are around 60 fishermen registered for this type of fishing in thecommune, but only 20 (randomly selected) are allowed within a year to catch fish in
the lagoon in order not to deplete the resources. There are three periods (of five dayseach) of fishing per month in the lagoon. These periods are defined based on the tidal
regime.
Although most fishermen know the above-mentioned traditional knowledge exists,
only some can still cite verses containing such information. This knowledge isdisappearing as young fishermen prefer using modern technologies to steer and fish.

CLIMATE-RELATED HAZARDS AND IMPACTS ON THE COMMUNITY AND IT’S ICH
Climate-Related Hazards and Impacts on Living Environment and ICH
According to most of the fishermen in Vinh Loi, given the characteristics of offshore
fishing, climate hazards are not only considered in relation to their living environment
but also to fishing grounds that are far away from their home.
In the study area, flooding, coastal erosion and storm/cyclone are the most significant
hazards. According to the Commanding Committee for Disaster Prevention – Searchand Rescue and Civil Defense of Phu My District, in 2021, there were nine storms at

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sea, many cold air waves and strong winds that affected fishermen and boats in Phu
My district (CCDPSRCD, 2022). Heavy rains in October and November caused fivefloods. Heavy rains at the end of December 2021 caused damages to housing, rice
crop, transportation, infrastructures, livestock and aquaculture, with a total estimatedloss of 55,850 million VND (2,372,557 USD). In 2022 (from January to September),
there were four storms (one of which hit the community) and heavy rains. In
particular, unusual rains from the end of March to the beginning of April (in the
middle of dry season) caused damages to agricultural production and other sectors in
the district. Examples of damages are: flooded rice field, river bank erosions, and thesinking of 20 boats. The total loss in the district in 2022 is estimated as 7,711 million
VND (327,570 USD). The total annual rainfall in 2021 and 2023 is higher compared tothe average of the last five consecutive years.
However, people in Vinh Loi said that they are living in a safer location compared toothers. Their village is sheltered by seaside mountains and thus protected fromstorms. Floods are infrequent and usually last for a short time with no serious
consequences. As Vinh Loi is located on a sandbank between the lagoon and the sea,
flood water recedes very quickly. Local community members indicated that climaterelated hazards have less impacts on local ICH.
Impacts on the places where ICH activities are practiced
Sacred sites in Vinh Loi have not been significantly affected by climate-related hazards.
According to the people of Vinh Loi as well as the members of ban van, thecommunity’s worship sites are often located in safe areas. They also believe that theirgods are sacred, bless these places, and keep them safe from the impacts of natural
hazards. Therefore, only some small impacts were recorded.
–	When a storm hit the community, a tree next to Tu Duong was knocked down.
When the tree fell on the building, it broke a unicorn’s head and two knifeshaped sculptures on the roof. This damage did not greatly affect religious
practices, but costed about 8,000,000 VND (340 USD) to repair.
–	During the northeast monsoon season from September to December, highhumidity negatively impacted the surface and paint of the wall of the whale
temple Lang Ong Dai. As a result, repainting is required every five or six years
instead of over 10 years in other locations.
–	Seawater is getting closer to some sites (especially at So Dam located next tothe sea) due to high tide and storm surges, causing damage to the building’s
paint and the wooden and iron accessories. (Figure 9)–	Access to some sacred sites is often difficult during the cyclone season andsometimes even impossible when big cyclone events occur.

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Figure 9
So Dam temple at the seaside ofVinh Loi, venerating Lach Lady
(Ba Chua Lach). The building andaccessories are damaged fromprolonged contact with seawater(Photo: Phan Phuong Anh, 2022)

Impacts on sacred objects
Seawater evaporation caused by heat has impacted whale bones and may erode thesebones which need to be wiped regularly and even require waterproof solutions10. In
the sunny season (May–June), the management board carefully select a good day totake care of whale bones. One person is assigned to wipe the bones with antiseptic
lime powder, wash them with alcohol, then dry them under the sun. As the whalebones are sacred objects, damage to these bones is a concern to the villagers that
may affect the practice of whale worship.
Regarding the extreme events in the past, elders over 60 years remark the Typhoon
Agnes, which was the biggest storm that occurred in 1984, killing nearly a thousandpeople in the Philippines and Viet Nam. Most houses in Vinh Loi were seriously
damaged due to the violent typhoon and the weak house structure. Many fishingboats were also severely damaged, although people do not remember the specificfigures concerning the damage. Local people said that miraculously, there was no
damage to the main religious building in Vinh Loi thanks to the sacredness of theirgods.
Offshore Fishing Affected by Storms
Many fishermen talked about the deadly Typhoon Linda in 1997. The tropical storm
affected Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia, but the heaviest impact was inViet Nam, causing more than 3,000 deaths. The typhoon made landfall in Ca Mau, themost southern province of Viet Nam. Around 60 fishing boats from Vinh Loi that were
working at their fishing grounds in Kien Giang, one southern province next to Ca Mau,
were affected by this storm. According to some informants, the Vinh Loi fishermen’sboats were seriously damaged but all were safe because they reached shores,
following the early warning before the event. Most of the dead were local fishermenin the Mekong Delta who were unfamiliar with the typhoon, because they are not a
10 In many places, fishermen paint whale bones, but people in Vinh Loi think that they should not do
that.

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Figure 10
Signboard at the front of Whale
Temple (Lang Ong Dai) reminding
fishermen to wear safety
equipment and other regulations
and rules(Photo: Phan Phuong Anh, 2022)

common hazard in the southern regions of Viet Nam. The fishermen from Vinh Loi
think that they were safe thanks to their skills, knowledge, and experience in dealing
with the storms.

POSITIVE ROLES OF ICH IN THE COMMUNITY’S DISASTER RISK REDUCTION(DRR) AND RESILIENCE
In this section, we explore the way local ICH elements contribute to DRR and building
community disaster resilience. Our study indicates that, ICH can be a good way toraising local awareness and improving capacity related to DRR, to strengthening social
capital and cohesion as well as to providing mental and psychological reassurance.
Practices of worshipping the whale and other gods as a way for raising awareness:
Ba trao singing and dancing and other activities of the fishing festival and whale
rituals remind people of the past disasters and the protection of the whale forfishermen in distress and these practices act as disaster warning. For example, Ba trao
performances show the activities and labors of fishermen such as rowing boats,pulling nets, and how to deal with big waves of past storms or to describe the sceneof a boat bringing the souls who died unjustly at sea and the whale spirit to thesacred places. The worship of water gods, goddesses, and lost souls remind people ofpotential disasters. In addition, these ceremonies are also good opportunities to raise
fishermen’s awareness about DRR. As their gathering places, worship sites can be used
for disaster risk management capacity building activities or for providing DRM
information to fishermen (Figure 10).
Whale worshiping rituals and festive events give psychological reassurance:
Worshiping whales and the other water gods gives fishermen psychological peace ofmind when going to sea. According to the local fishermen interviewed, when there isan accident or storm occurring at sea, praying to the whales and the lost souls, water
gods relieve people’s anxiety and reassures their minds. The head of the management
board told us that during the Typhoon Linda in 1997, he was in Kien Giang in the

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South but survived because he prayed to the whales for protection, saying ‘I prayed to
God fish and he helped me to find the shore (Do, 2022)’. He also talked about ayoung fisherman who was in danger during the Chanchu storm that hit Da Nang in
2006. He called his mother asking her to prepare an offering and go to ban van topray to the whales for him, which saved him from this deadly event. Such practice isstill very popular among the members of fishing community.
Whale worship institution structured around ban van strengthen community bond andsocial cohesion:
According to local fishermen, the existence of religious institutions and practices,
especially the whale worship, has created and strengthened a community cohesion
and intercommunal ties, which could contribute to disaster response and recovery. For
instance, the head of the management board told that about 165 out of 200 boatowners have contributed to the public fund managed by ban van. Every year theboard and boat owners hold a meeting to discuss each vessel’s contribution to thefund. This fund has been utilized to organize worship activities, preserve sacred sites,and support community members in need. In addition, given strong social links in thecommunity, when a family or someone faces difficulties caused by natural hazards,
other members of the community often provide some support in form of money orlabor.
Traditional systems of cooperation create strong links and mutual support between
fishermen:
Boat captains in Vinh Loi are usually boat owners. Their brothers and close relatives
often invest in the same boats. Each offshore fishing vessel needs about 15–20
fishermen who often know each other. In many cases, these fishermen are not simply
workers, but they are also invited to invest in fishing nets and accessories and thus
receive benefits according to their investment. This labor structure is called di ban,literary ‘go-friend’ (go together with friend). Less successful boats need to hire
independent workers and pay them a fixed amount agreed upon before the trip,
which is called mua ban ‘buy-friend’ (work as hired labor). In both cases, when a crew
member encounters difficult circumstances, he often receives support from others
workers in the same vessel. In addition, forming a fleet of 3–4 or 6–7 boats called tap
doan ‘corporation’ is a common practice. Owners of these boats often have blood
relations11 and practice the same fishing techniques but have no financial ties. They
collaborate to support each other in catching fish and giving mutual support whensome of them encounter difficulties, especially during the storm season. In recent
years, this practice has been supported and encouraged by the government under thename of to doi doan ket ‘solidary unit’ as it is considered useful for fishing andrescuing when accidents occur at sea.
Knowledge of seafaring and survival skills:
In the past, local fishermen could use their traditional experiences and knowledge
about the weather and the environment to prepare for and respond to storms. For
example, traditional geographical knowledge helps fishermen know where to evacuate
11 There are around ten lineages in Vinh Loi.

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when encountering storms at sea. They also used their knowledge related to the local
environment and resources as well as local engineering skills in emergency situations
such as making life vests from floating specimens. However, many local fishermen said
that nowadays they rely mainly on modern technological equipment and early
warning systems instead of traditional knowledge and skills to prepare for and deal
with climate-related hazards. In our view, relying too much on technology andignoring traditional experiences, knowledge and skills can be a risky strategy as
weather-related events are becoming more and more unusual due to the impact ofclimate change, and early warning systems can be sometimes failed and or
inaccurate.

STRENGTHENING ICH AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT LINKAGESAt the commune level, local DRM activities are mainly managed by the government.
Every year a DRM plan is developed and approved by the commune level ofCommanding Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control. However, local
communities, fishermen, and representatives of religious institutions are rarely invited
to participate in the development of the plan or even consulted about its content. In
addition, this plan focuses mainly on reactive (rather than preventive) actions including
emergency activities during disasters. Little attention has been paid to the protectionof ICH elements such as whale temples and practitioners. As a result, there is no
ICH-related content regarding local DRM plans. Up to now, the protection andmaintenance of worship places where ICH is practiced or artifacts associated with ICH
are mainly in the hands of the local fishermen and community associations such as
ban van who have a limited capacity and resources. To safeguard these ICH elements
in a sustainable manner, fishing community in Vinh Loi requires support from the local
government. The first actions to be taken are: to integrate ICH into annual DRM plans,by planning for the protection of ICH and using religious institutions and religious
platforms for capacity building, awareness raising and improving community cohesion;
to mobilize better financial and equipment support to protect local temples; and toengage fishermen and ban van in the entire DRM processes including disaster
preparedness, response, and recovery.
Besides, cultural management and DRM agencies have limited knowledge about the
impact of climate-related hazards on ICH and the role of ICH in DRM. In addition, as
they do not have opportunities to work together, strengthening the capacity of theseagencies and improving the coordination between them are urgently needed. Thisshould contribute not only to the protection of ICH, but also to the promotion of
traditional knowledge and experiences in DRM of fishermen and to strengthencommunity cohesion and mutual support for disaster preparedness, response, andrecovery.

CHALLENGES FOR LOCAL ICH
The practice of ICH in Vinh Loi has been mainly altered by factors other than climaterelated risks, such as changes in fishing techniques and other development-related
aspects. Changes in fishing techniques have resulted in less active participation of

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fishermen in fishing festivals. In the past, the majority of fishermen joined the firstfishing festival (on the 10th day of lunar new year) and stayed home to celebrate thisevent before going to sea. However, nowadays most boats depart on the 4th or 5th
day of the Lunar New Year. Many fishermen today think that the worship of whales is
the work of the ban van members who represent the entire fishing community, andtheir participation is not important as long as they contribute to the public funds
according to community rules. In addition, factors such as the danger partly caused byclimate-related hazards, frequent separation from home, and unstable income havebeen discouraging young people from pursuing fishing activities and contributing toand participating in local ICH activities. When being asked about the future of theirchildren, fishermen families often express their wishes for their children to change
jobs, even though nowadays it is less dangerous to go offshore thanks to larger
vessels, better equipment, and better systems of weather forecast.
The construction of new infrastructures for the marine economy and tourism
development impacts the labor structure of the villages, which causes potentialchanges in ICH practices. Many locals are optimistic about the tourism development,
especially after the completion of the new bridge, expecting that such development
will give their children more opportunities to work in the service and tourism sectors.
In addition, most families having good income from fishing are investing in theirchildren’s education so that they can have better careers. The anchorage area of De Gi
lagoon is being surveyed to build a new fishing port to replace the Quy Nhon fishingport in the near future, and the new port is expected to anchor more than half of theships in Binh Dinh province (Binh Dinh Province, Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development, 2022). This is another sector that will create new jobs in the area. The
challenge for ICH is that, as a greater number of young people engage in otherprofessions, they no longer have to contribute to the van institution and practice local
fishing-related ICH. The knowledge and practices of local ICH related to fishing,
therefore, may gradually disappear.
The knowledge about the marine environment and natural hazards is also in danger ofdisappearing because new technologies are now widely promoted and used. In thepast, for instance, fishermen worked until the moon comes up and then rested atnight. But today, they can still catch fish under the bright moon because they have the
AIS (Automatic Identification System) locator to detect them. Boats are larger andoften equipped with high-end technologies and accessories such as AIS locator, fishdetector and commercial fishing nets. Technologies allow boats to go further, catch
more fish, and also better predict natural hazards. Accordingly, most fishermen thinkthat going to sea is now much safer even if weather-related events become
increasingly extreme, and they tend to consider traditional knowledge less important.
However, relying too much on modern accessories and technological applications mayplace fishermen in risky situations. In the event of malfunctions of technologicalequipment and accessories, traditional knowledge and skills of the elders would be
useful for survival.

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CONCLUSION
Fishermen’s lives in Vinh Loi village are imbued with beliefs related to seafaring
professions. Having the risk of encountering many dangers, especially climate-related
hazards like cyclones and storms, beliefs and religious practices of the local fishermen
are closely connected with their activities and life at sea. Vinh Loi’s people worshipwhales, lost souls of those who died in the sea, water realm and forests, and otherwater gods and deities. They are considered as the most important gods who save thelife of seafarers in distress at sea. These worship practices give fishermen
psychological peace of mind when going to sea. ICH-related activities organized during
fishing festivals are also the opportunities for disaster warning and raising awarenessby reminding people and younger generations of the past experiences and potential
hazards in the future. Religious institutions and practices, especially for the whale
worship, have created strong links among fishermen and strengthened community
cohesion and intercommunal ties, which contributed to the enhancement of social
capital that is central to disaster response and recovery.
Traditional knowledge of the sea environment, climate patterns and natural hazards,
and the experiences and skills related to fishing activities and responding to climaterelated hazards are other forms of ICH that were frequently used by local fishermen
while fishing at sea. However, such knowledge is disappearing due to multiple factors
such as the promotion of modern technology in seafaring and fishing, better access toearly warning systems, and the shift to other professions connected to new economic
development opportunities. In our view, relying too much and only on technologies
and ignoring traditional experiences, knowledge and skills can be a risky strategy as
weather-related events are becoming more and more unusual due to the impact ofclimate change, and early warning systems can fail or become inaccurate.
Despite the potential role of ICH in DRM, the integration of ICH into DRM processes isstill limited because of the lack of understanding about the role of ICH and the lack ofmechanism for collaboration between ICH and DRM actors. Strengthening the capacityof DRM agencies in mobilizing ICH for DRM and of ICH practitioners in DRM planningand improving the coordination between these actors are urgently needed. These
stakeholders should work closely together to integrate ICH into DRM planning andprocesses to mobilize better support to protect local temples and to engage
fishermen and fishing institutions in the DRM processes and activities.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank Ms Le Thi Anh Nguyet for her invaluable contributions during the fieldstudy and Mr Nguyen Van Ngoc for his institutional support and field work coordination. Special
thanks to the residents and fishing institutions of Vinh Loi for their willingness to share information,
experiences, stories, and perspectives. We also would like to thank IRCI for the financial support andcolleagues at IRCI for their suggestions and comments.

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Nguyen V. N. (ed.) (2019). Research on Fishing Festival in Binh Dinh province. (Project report, Project
funded by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Binh Dinh province - DCSTBD)
Meeker, L. & Phan P. A. (2021). Reaching for texts: Evidence and ambiguity in narratives of lineage
history in a northern Vietnamese village, History and Anthropology, 34:4, 603-624. Doi: 10.1080/
02757206.2021.1885399
Phu My District People’s Committee (2021). Annual Report on Socio-economic Development of Phu My
in 2021.
Phu My District People’s Committee (2022). Annual Report on Socio-economic Development of Phu My
in 2022 and core tasks in 2023.
Phu My District People’s Committee (2022). Summary of agricultural production in My Thanh
commune. (Report)
Sorrentino, P. (2018). À l’épreuve de la possession: chronique d’une innovation rituelle dans le Vietnam
contemporain [Trials of possession: Chronicle of a Vietnamese ritual innovation]. Nanterre:
Publications de la Société d’ethnologie [Publications of the Ethnological Society].

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NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONICH SAFEGUARDING AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT INBANGLADESHA STUDY ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL RISKS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF ICH
IN THE DRM CONTEXT

Saifur Rashid 1

OBJECTIVE OF THE CASE STUDYThis case study aims to understand the dynamics of relationship between climatechange-induced hazards and the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) practice in the
Northeast Haor Basin, southwest coastal and south-central region of Bangladesh. To
supplement this general objective, the present case study focuses on the following
issues:a. What are the general cultural heritage practices in the regions?
b.	How have climate change and climatic hazards affected different ICH practices
in the regions?
c. How do different ICH practices help different disaster risk reductions?

METHODOLOGY
The methodology of this study is anthropological in nature, with the goal ofunderstanding the relationship between cultural heritage practices and climate change
in three different ecological regions out of six climate hotspots of Bangladesh:
Sunamganj Upazila in the Northwest Haor Basin, Shyamnagar Upazila in the southwest
coastal region, and Tungipara and Nazirpur Upazila in the south-central Region. The
study’s major data-collection methods include focused ethnographic observation, key
informants’ interviews/in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions.
The first stage of the study has entailed observing and documenting the region’s
diverse living and cultural heritage practices, such as traditional knowledge andcustomary behaviors that are used to cope with the effects of climate change. Basedon ethnographic observations, the study team have conducted in-depth interviews
with residents of the selected areas during the second field trip to learn how people
perceive and experience the effects of climate change on their cultural heritage
practices. The focus group discussions have facilitated the researchers to get better
understanding how climate change has been influencing cultural heritage practices
and how communities have been responding to these impacts. To validate the data, alldata gathered during the study, including recordings, images, videos, and observation
notes, have been transcribed and triangulated among different tools and respondents.
Finally, the researchers have categorized and thematically analyzed the filtered data to
see the interrelationships between the relevant themes and patterns.
1

Department of Anthropology, University of Dhaka

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FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
We have discussed different ICH practices in Sunamganj of northwest region,
Shyamnagar of southeast coastal region, and Tungipara and Nazirpur Upazila of southcentral region. Based on our fieldwork in these three regions, we have discussed how
different ICH practices have historically helped people to respond to different climatic
hazards.
The Case of Sunamganj Upazila
Flash floods, erosion, and hailstorms are the most common climatic catastrophes inSunamganj Upazila in the northeast Haor Basin. The distinctive natural character ofthis region includes one of the largest back swamp lakes in Asia. During summer andwinter, this basin-like topographical depression is usually dry. However, during
monsoon, the entire area gets submerged due to heavy rainfall and flooding andtransforms into a large wetland (Oxbow Lakes) (Suvra, 2021). But the rapid changing
climatic conditions and natural disasters, such as an unprecedented flash flood of last
few consecutive years, has been posing challenges to the ICH practices of Sunamganj.
However, some of the ICH practices also have been found effective in responding tosome of the challenges of climate change (Table 1).
Traditional performing arts
This region is considered very rich for its number of oral and performance based
cultural practices. These are the major source of entertainment for the Haor people
and convey various art forms: mythology, folklore, and traditional knowledge systems.
Baul Gaan, Jatrapala, Palagaan, Ghatugaan, Puthipath, and Bhatiyali Gaan are themost notable cultural traditions in this region (Wahab, 2007). A major part of the folk
literature collection Moimonshingho Geetika is associated with the Haor ofSunamganj. Jatrapala is a genre of folk theatre in which local performers play
historical and mythological dramas. Palagan, on the other hand, is a traditional styleof singing combat that is remarkably similar to western rap songs. Puthipath describes
myths and stories from ancient scrolls and scriptures. Bhatiyali Gaan is anotheressential cultural heritage component of the Haor people of Sunamganj, whichtranslates to ‘song of the downstream’. Bhatiyali Gaan reflects the inner desires of theHaor people. The rise and fall of the water level are inextricably linked to these
performing arts. The regular practice of these art forms is hindered by the log time
stay of uncertain flashflood water.
Baula or Baul gaan of Sunamganj area is one type of musical genre based on thesense of identity, a way of recreation based on the philosophy of humanity, solidarity,and mental peace. Some of the local Bauls share valuable insights into the traditional
performing arts of the region, including some of which are dying and those that havebeen revived. According to them, Baul Gaan, a genre of traditional folk song plays asignificant role to create a joyous atmosphere in the hamlet, foster social
cohesiveness and carry themes of love, peace, and devotion to God that purify thesoul and keep people from doing evil. They also discuss the demise of the performing
arts, citing religious fundamentalism and a lack of patronage as reasons. Another local
leader also sheds light on the diverse performing arts of Sunamganj and expresses his

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Table 1

Impact of climate change on the ICH practices of Sunamganj

ICH Domain and practice

Impact of Climate Change

Oral traditions andexpressions
Folklore; Myth; Biyer Geet;
Hason Geet; Kiccha Shiluk

Myths and folklore are related to indigenous knowledge systems
and the natural environment. Climate change’s detrimental impacts
on the local ecology make it harder to connect environmental
folklore and mythology. Again, due to climate change migration,
the number of individuals carrying on these oral traditions is
declining in certain locations.

Performing arts
JatraPala/ Pala; Palagan;
Ghetugan; Puthipath;
Bhatiyali Gan; Baula gan;Ghatugan;

The performers of Jatrapala, Palagan, and other performing arts inthis area make their living mostly from agriculture and othernatural resource–based professions. However, climate risks, such as
exceptional floods and rains, have had a negative influence onthese people’s overall well-being, making it difficult for them tosimply make a living, let alone conduct creative acts. As a result,
the Jatrapala/Pala practise is in danger.
These performing arts have traditionally been staged at different
times of the year as part of the Haor people’s creativity and entertainment. However, the yearly calendars have become harder tomanage due to frequent seasonal fluctuations.
Bhatiyaligan is a folk music type peculiar to this region’s ecosystem.
Therefore, environmental difficulties undoubtedly hamper the
spontaneity of this folk song.
Baula Gaan is a musical practice that represents sense of identity
and serves as a form of recreation grounded in a philosophy
centered on the principles of humanity, solidarity, and mental
peace. It also embodies a call for collective unity and prosperity.
Despite that Ghatugan is no longer a thriving practice among theHaor community, it has significant historical roots in their traditionand culture. Ghatugan involves a collection of musical groups thatused to provide entertainment to the Haor community duringextended periods of flooding with their songs and dances.

Social practices, rituals,
and festive events
Nabanna Utshab (local
harvest celebration)

The Baishakhi Mela and the Nabanna Utshab are associated withNew Year celebrations and harvesting the first crop of the year.
However, inhabitants have gotten accustomed to having their crops
ruined by abrupt floods due to the Haor basin’s uneven and unpredictable water flow in recent decades. As a result, the festivities arehampered.

Knowledge and practices
concerning nature and theuniverse
Fishing knowledge

Climate change has influenced the Haor region’s floral and faunal
resources. Furthermore, many fishing communities are abandoning
fishing as a result of the extinction of several fish species in thisarea. This situation reduces the number of people who can pass onfishing-related traditional knowledge.
On the other hand, Ethnomedical approaches such as Kabiraji rely
primarily on the floral resources and plants available in the area.
Ethnomedical techniques like Kabiraji and Boiddi have been
affected due to the extinction of numerous therapeutic plants.

Traditional craftsmanship
Boat making; Alpona
Painting; Jaal (net weaving)

Boats are traditionally built from wood obtained from neighboring
forests. On the other hand, inadequate wood supplies have had an
influence on traditional boatbuilding craftsmanship. As a result,several boat makers have stopped building boats and switched toconstructing steel-body boats. The change in traditional boatmaking has affected related practices such as ceremonies, Alpona
painting, and many others.
Fishing technologies and waterbodies account for a significant
portion of traditional Haor handicraft. The Haor people are finding
it difficult to retain their traditional fishing techniques due to thetremendous ecological effect of climate change. There aren’t asmany fish in Haor as there previously were. Many of the fish
species have become extinct. This shortage has had a severe
influence on the region’s fishing practices and, as a result, related
craftsmanship such as Polo, Kuin, and Jaal making.

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concern about its disappearance day by day. He mentions some of the extinct
performing arts, such as Ghetu gaan (traditional performance unique to Haor region),and others that are on the verge of becoming extinct, such as Bulabuli, Baghai Shinni,
and Puthipath. He also talks about the heritage festival of Pona Tirther Mela (fair ofPona Tirtho), which has been going on for ages and attracts hundreds of thousands ofpeople for the holy bath. However, some performing arts have been revived with thesupport of the government and local cultural activists. Dhamail (a ritualistic song anddance performed by women) is one such example, which was on the verge ofextinction but has now been patronized by the government and actively promoted
countrywide.
It is emphasized that Baul Gaan has a power to motivate people to live in harmony
within the local environment and help to minimize the threat of climate change with
its themes of love, peace, and devotion to God. Some of the traditional performing
arts are still helping people to stay together and to provide solace during times ofcatastrophe, such as floods or storms. Indigenous knowledge and technology including
the use of natural building materials and water management techniques can provide
essential knowledge and skills for adapting to climate change.
Challenges faced by boat makers and their quest for alternative livelihoods
The relationship between people and boats is as old as the settlement history in thisarea. Different beliefs, rituals, and practices are associated with boats among various
communities in this area. However, climate change has affected the region’s uniqueecology, directly influencing the territory’s cultural heritage traditions. For example,
the boat making tradition in Sunamganj is based on woods, yet boat making woods
are difficult to come by owing to severe climate change consequences. As a result, thenumber of traditional boat builders is decreasing daily, as is the knowledge system
supporting them. Many other cultural heritage activities are linked to boat building;for example, painting Alpona (consisting of colored motifs, patterns, and symbols thatare painted on walls or floors with paints) on the body of the boat is an essential
component of beautifying transport vessels, and as traditional boatbuilding declines,
so does this traditional art.
Different sorts of boats are designed for transporting sand, stones, fishing, and tourist
and passenger crossing. Everyone in the hamlet is familiar with the boat-building
process, which they inherited as a skill. This low-lying area known as Haor region isclose to the Surma river and is very prone to flooding during the monsoon, resulting
in a high demand for boats.
The base of a boat is made of Kuma tree wood, and the side is made of Mango tree
wood. After the boat’s framework is completed, it is transported to aalong, aspecialized house for shaping and processing boats. This is a tin-shed house with nosides. Boats are sent there and positioned in the middle of the home, with bamboo orwood poles placed on top and fastened to the roof. It is kept there for a while(Figure 1).
Boats are in high demand for three to four months of the year, making it a seasonal

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Figure 1
Boat making in Sunamganj(Photo: Mustafizur Rahman Rahaat)industry. As a result, after the peak season, most of the boat makers get out of workfor the rest of the year, struggling to support their families. Due to this situation, someof the traditional boat makers are trying to find alternative livelihoods when thesituation changes.
Climate change and the disappearance of traditional fishing practices andcraftsmanship
Besides boat making, fishing has been historically playing a significant role in the lifeand livelihood of the Haor people of Sunamganj Upazila. To catch fish, people havedevised fishing gears/equipment including jaal, bagura, kucha, polo, aour, and kuin.
These gadgets are still manufactured in rural areas. However, these devices require
wood, bamboo, canes, threads, and other materials, and these natural resources are
becoming increasingly difficult to get from the locality. Climate change has an impact
on the abundance of fish in the river as well as the water levels in the haor (wetland
ecosystem) on which the fishermen rely for a living during the monsoon season. It isalso leading to a loss of catch and a reduction in income.
The role of oral tradition: kiccha and shiluk
The decline in interest in kiccha (folk tales) and shiluk (riddle) among younger
generations could be potentially related to climate change. Flooding is common in the
Haor region. The customary way of life in this region is being interrupted by theincreased frequency and intensity of floods caused by climate change. Many families
are compelled to relocate or migrate to other locations in search of work, whichmight result in the extinction of cultural traditions and practices such as kiccha andshiluk.

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Furthermore, the younger generation may be more engaged in dealing with theimmediate climate change issues, such as floods, rather than engaging in conventional
storytelling or riddle-solving activities. As a result, the Haor region’s cultural heritage,
including kiccha and shilluk, is at risk of extinction as younger generations become
estranged from their traditional roots. These kiccha and shiluks convey knowledge on
environment in the forms of proverbs. For example, one of the kiccha conveys
message that, if water arrives early in the haor and destroys all the crops, there is ahigh probability of flood in that year.
Traditional cultural traditions such as kiccha and shiluk must be preserved in order toprotect the region’s cultural heritage and maintain a sense of identity and community
resilience in the face of climate change. As the Haor region continues to feel theeffects of climate change, efforts should be made to sustain and promote traditional
cultural traditions in order to strengthen community relationships and foster a senseof cultural continuity and pride.
Furthermore, the elders can use kiccha and shiluk to pass on essential flood
preparation, response, and recovery information and guidance. They can use these
traditional mediums to teach the next generation about their community’s history andculture, as well as key life values. During times of crisis, kiccha and shiluk can enhancecommunity togetherness and social peace. These activities have the potential to bringpeople together and give a sense of shared cultural identity and belonging, which canbe beneficial in developing resilience and coping with the effects of floods and otherclimate-related disasters.
The Case of Shyamnagar Upazila in Satkhira
Cyclones and tidal surges are frequent in Shyamnagar Upazila of Satkhira district in the
coastal zone of Bangladesh and are frequently affecting the people’s lives andlivelihoods. Salinity intrusion significantly impacts people’s livelihoods, followed bytemperature rise and drought. High tides, riverbank erosion, and waterlogging also
have wreak havoc on the local lives and livelihoods (Figure 2).
Climate change has significant impacts on the Gabura Union’s traditional farming andother ICH practices in Shyamnagar Upazila. The primary occupations of farming andfishing families of this area are also frequently hampered by rising salinity, soil

Figure 2
Gabura Union Shyamnagar.
Upazila(Photo: S.K. Abdullah Al Mamun)

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NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONdegradation, and river erosion. As a result, traditional crops and indigenous
knowledge associated with farming are gradually disappearing, forcing the community
to shift to other means of subsistence. Boat making, which is also an important part ofGabura’s culture, is facing difficulties because of resource scarcity, making it difficult
for boat makers to continue their traditional practices. In contrast, the region’s
vernacular architecture is evolving and adapting to environmental conditions,providing a sustainable alternative for the community. These situations highlight theneed for long-term disaster response strategies that address the community’s specificneeds and preserve cultural heritage while adapting to changing environmental
conditions. Without such safeguards, the community’s way of life and ICH practices
will perish (Table 2).
Table 2

Impact of climate change on the ICH practices of Gabura union in Shyamnagr Upazila

ICH Domain and practice

Impact of Climate Change

Oral traditions andexpressions
Pachu bibir kahini; Bilkis
Porir kahini; Nantu
Paloaner kahini

Indigenous knowledge systems and the natural environment arelinked through myths and folklore. The negative effects of climatechange on local ecosystems make it more difficult to connect environmental folklore and mythology. Again, owing to climate change
migration, the number of people who keep these oral traditions
alive is dwindling in some areas.

Social practices, rituals
and festive events
Tree plant; Sandbag
piling; Sacred Ponds;
Mahfil;Tree plantation and sandbag piling are community practices toreduce river erosion.
Gabura people protect some ponds and consider them sacred asthey provide them resources throughout the year.
Mahfil mostly has religious grounding. It helps people reduce
tension and anxiety.

Knowledge and practices
concerning nature andthe universe
Bonbibi ritual; Gazi, Kalu
and Champabati ritual;
Fishing Knowledge

Indigenous knowledge practices are linked to several ecologicalcomponents, which have been impeded in recent decades. Inland
water bodies have become saline as a result of rising salinity,
reducing the quantity of inland fish. Unfortunately, soil salinity has
increased as well, affecting traditional saline-sensitive herbs, crops,
and medicinal plants. This predicament has put fishing knowledge
and traditional healthcare systems that rely on indigenous medicinal
plants in danger.
Massive river erosion has driven traditional knowledge keepers toleave their locations.

Traditional craftsmanship
Boat making; Golpatar
Ghor

Due to rising salinity, there has been a decline in the production ofnatural raw materials, affecting crafts such as bamboo and woodwork and boat making.
Massive river erosion has harmed potter villages and their ability toacquire specific clayed soil for artistic purposes.
Many craftsmen have shifted to other regions and abandoned theirconventional livelihood tactics as a result of river erosion.

Climate change impact on traditional farming and ICH practices
Gabura is located in the Sundarbans area of Bangladesh (the world’s largest mangrove
forest). It is a semi-island Union Parishad in Shyamnagar Upazila. The main agricultural
crop of this area is rice. Three types of rice are cultivated in Gabura. Changes due toclimate change in the Sundarbans area have significant impacts on the culture of thisregion.
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Sundarbans forest’s resources. However, locals can no longer produce traditional crops
due to rising salt levels in the soil, since they are extremely sensitive to salinity. Also,
increased salinity in water bodies limits inland fishing. Moreover, many people aremoving to other areas due to river erosion and facing hardship to maintain traditional
subsistence strategies. Because these local people are the major bearers of cultural
practices, this outmigration poses a significant danger to the region’s traditional
knowledge system and many other ICH activities (Rashid and Hasan, 2020).
In 2007 and 2009, Bangladesh was hit by Cyclone Sidr and Cyclone Aila, causingwidespread saline water flooding and increased soil salinity. This made it difficult forfarmers to grow traditional crops, leading to a decrease in traditional farming. The
government introduced salinity-tolerant rice, but many locals couldn’t afford it. As aresult, rice cultivation has become limited to certain areas such as Gainbari,
Chandnimukh, and Dumuria in Gabura Union.
Consequently, the residents of Gabura are facing challenges in farming traditional
inland fish due to increased salinity and river erosion, leading to a decrease in arable
land. Many are moving away from farming and migrating from the area. In response
to climate change, a different indigenous knowledge-based farming method of floating
agriculture, known as dhap or baira, has been reintroduced in some villages of theregion, where it has been used for over 300 years. It has been noted that many
villages in this area are currently reintroducing this approach to cultivate paddy inareas that are susceptible to salinity (Rashid, in press). While the people of Gabura
have yet to adopt this technique, there is growing awareness of its benefits, and manyare eager to implement it in their region.
There are two significant consequences of climate change on the ICH practice in thearea. First, most traditional knowledge associated with nature and cultivation is
becoming extinct. During our field study, we have found only one person undertwenty-five aware of the traditional farming and cultivation methods. The second
impact is on the festivities associated with harvesting. It was a tradition in Gabura, likemany other places in Bangladesh; Nobanno, or the festival for the new harvest, hasbeen a long-practiced traditional festival that is not observed anymore in Gabura.
Boat making in the face of climate change and resource scarcity
In recent years, fishing in the Kholpetua river has been the primary source of income
for Gabura Union people, with over 70% of the population engaging in this industry.
Fishing is primarily concerned with catching various species of shrimp and prawns,
which are then sold in local markets. Boat-making is an essential traditional practice inGabura related to fishing, and each person typically uses their little boat to catch fishin the river. However, climate change has resulted in the extinction of long-lastingtrees formerly used for boat building. The prohibition on cutting trees from theSundarbans, a protected mangrove forest, has made it difficult for boat makers toacquire wood (Figure 3).
To overcome the scarcity of suitable wood for boat building, boat makers in Gabura
are now predominantly using easily accessible woods, notably rain trees. These boats,

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Figure 3
Fishing in Kholpetura River(Photo: S.K. Abdullah Al Mamun)

Figure 4
Boat making in Gabura(Photo: S.K. Abdullah Al Mamun)

however, are less sustainable than traditional ones, posing a big challenge to the boatbuilding community. Furthermore, the widespread use of power boats has been
worsening the situation. Some of the community’s master boat builders are now too
old to continue building boats (Figure 4).
A professional boat builder in the neighborhood, voices concern about the scarcity ofsuitable wood for boat construction. He emphasizes that, once there was norestriction on taking wood from the forest in the past, it is now prohibited, but theymust continue to make boats for a living because it is their only expertise. He also
remarks that they try to protect the forest so that it may provide them with wood andfood in exchange. The community recognizes the importance of protecting the forest
for future generations and appreciates the decision to restrict forest cutting.
It is important to note that boats are critical to the community’s survival duringstorms when the area gets submerged for days. There is an urgent need to investigate
alternate, sustainable livelihood methods and encourage responsible boat-building
practices to safeguard the community’s indigenous ways of life.
Adaptation and evolution of vernacular architecture in response to environmental
conditions
Golpatar ghor, also known as nipa palm homes, is a type of indigenous vernacular
style found in the coastal region of Gabura Union in Shyamnagar Upazila. Thesedwellings are constructed using flexible nipa palm, also known as golpata locally

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Figure 5
Golpatar Ghor in Gabura(Photo: S.K. Abdullah Al Mamun)

providing natural insulation that keeps the houses cool in summer and warm in winter.
This trait is especially essential in the coastal region’s tropical environment (Figure 5).
The use of nipa palm also reduces building costs and makes reconstruction simple andinexpensive after a disaster. Skilled artisans called ghoramis play a vital role inpreserving and passing down this ancient architectural practice. Additionally, golpatar
ghor’s design elements make it resilient to coastal climatic threats, such as cyclones
and seawater infiltration, due to its height, material, and construction. The dwellings,
for example, are typically twelve feet high and six feet wide, letting air circulate easily
and lowering wind pressure during a cyclone. The walls and floors are built with
mangrove trees and mud, making them resistant to coastal salinity.
Golpatar ghor’s roof, made of nipa palm lasts 12–16 months, making maintenanceand replacement simple when needed. The use of nipa palm is environmentally
beneficial as it is a renewable resource abundant in the region. This traditionalarchitectural practice has evolved to adapt to the region’s climate and has become an
essential element of the community’s identity, providing a unique heritage andpractical solution to climate concerns.
Moreover, ghoramis’ use of asbestos sheets for house construction in Gabura
represents a shift in vernacular design methods in response to changing
environmental conditions. While this deviates from traditional building procedures, theuse of asbestos sheets improves building resilience and contributes to community
sustainability by lessening the negative effects of climate change. Additionally, the useof asbestos sheets enables rainwater retention, a departure from traditional practices,
showcasing how modifications in vernacular architecture methods can help preserve
ICH. This shift in building approaches demonstrates the ability of these ICH practices
to adapt and evolve in response to changing environmental conditions, ultimately
contributing to community sustainability and cultural continuity.
ICH and resource management
Gabura residents rely on rainwater and surrounding ponds for drinking water due tothe high salinity of deep tube-well water. They collect rainwater during the monsoon
and store it in large drums, tanks, and asbestos roofs for consumption throughout theyear. Large households typically use saved water for four months, while small families

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can rely on it for six months before resorting to gathering water from freshwater
ponds, such as Drishti Nandan in Gabura’s Sora area, where precautions are taken to
maintain water quality. The installation of a protective fence by local villagers
demonstrates their recognition of the pond’s significance and their efforts to conserve
it. This reliance on rainwater and ponds can be seen as a form of traditional ecologicalknowledge emphasizing the balanced use and conservation of natural resources. The
ponds also hold social and cultural value, serving as gathering places for thecommunity and hosting various cultural events.
Additionally, the area is rich in cultural heritage, with folklore, myths, and rituals
connected to the Sundarbans mangrove forest. Sundarbans-dependent people havesome common rituals, such as the belief in Bonbibi 2, a sacred forest deity. The locals
consider Bonbibi to be the Sundarbans’ guardian spirit. When honey collectors, woodcollectors, or fishers visit the jungle searching for protection from Royal Bengal Tiger,
they call on Bonbibi. Besides Bonbibi, people dependent on the Sundarbans seek
protection from Gazi, Kalu, and Chompabati; three other forest deities. The legend of
Gazi, Kalu, and Chompabati is well-known in the southwestern coastal area. Pachu
Bibir Kahini (Story of Pachu Bibi), Bilkis Porir Kahini (Story of Bilkis Pori), and Nantu
Paloaner Kahini (Story of Nantu Paloan) are three well-known Shyamnagar’s folk myths
in the region.
Indigenous knowledge and community traditions as resilience building strategies
Gabura is regularly hit by cyclones and other climate-related disasters. Gabura’s
people have established traditional indigenous knowledge that has been passed downfrom generation to generation and is used to foretell upcoming cyclones. Elders ofGabura rely on observing the movement of different fish in the river and unusual bird
movements to predict impending storms and cyclones. Additionally, the inhabitants
make efforts to alleviate the impact of rising water levels on river erosion. They
participate in tree planting and sandbag construction along the riverbank. These
community-driven activities aid in reducing the impact of natural catastrophes on thecommunity (Figure 6).
During major natural disasters, the government provides a nearby shelter for the
Gabura people. The shelter is a critical response mechanism that plays a significant
part in disaster response. Gabura residents seek safety in this government shelter andtry to stay close to one another (Figure 7).
Before a disaster, religious institutions such as mosques play a key role in notifying
people about government-issued warnings about impending calamities. Most warnings
are broadcasted through the mosque’s microphone. Gabura is predominantly occupied
by Muslim inhabitants who have integrated religious practices with cultural heritage
practices. One such practice is the Tafsirul Quran Mahfil, which entails congregations
from neighboring villages listening to speeches delivered by religious leaders. Central
to these gatherings is the act of praying to God for protection against impending
environmental disasters. These gatherings provide the Gabura community with a2

Bondurga and Bondevi are two alternate names for Bonbibi.

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Figure 6
Sandbags for mitigating rivererosion(Photo: S.K. Abdullah Al Mamun)

Figure 7
Cyclone shelter in Gabura(Photo: S.K. Abdullah Al Mamun)

Figure 8
Gathering in Tafsirul Quran Mahfil(Photo: S.K. Abdullah Al Mamun)means of reducing tension and anxiety associated with past and future disasters(Figure 8).
The Case Study of Tungipara Upazila in Gopalganj and Nazirpur Upazila in Pirojpur
The country experiences heavy monsoon rains along with frequent tropical storms in
its southern coastal zone that cause frequent occurrence of floods every year. The
extent of flooding for all areas of the country is likely to increase by 2050.
Major challenges due to climate change are: floods, drought, river-bank erosion,

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NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONsea-level rise and salinity intrusion, cyclones and storm surges, and increase in themagnitude and frequency of mega floods. These issues of climate change have madethe life of rural people extremely challenging. The people affected by climate change
have taken various measures for their survival and are trying to adapt to the situation.
Tungipara and Nazirpur are demonstrating an outstanding example of climate change
management through the practice of floating agriculture.
Impact of Climate Change on ICH
Impact of climate change on ICH is summarized on Tables 3 and 4. Climate change has
drastically impacted agriculture in the south-central region, submerging land for sevento eight months annually and increasing salinity levels, affecting traditional crops andenvironment in Tungipara and Nazirpur. This has disrupted environmental narratives,
mythology, and oral traditions, leading to a shift in livelihoods and cultural heritage.
Furthermore, climate-induced migration is resulting in a decrease in the number ofpeople who are maintaining the oral traditions such as Jaari Gaan, Shari Gaan (native
operas) and performing arts such as Jatrapala (a form of theater) and Puppetry. Dueto the changing climate and ecological situation, some of the traditional arts of theseareas are becoming less relevant. The changing livelihood patterns, influenced byclimate change, have led the artisans of this performing art to switch to different
occupations.
This alteration in cultivation methods has not only transformed the agriculturallandscape but also has disrupted cultural practices associated with rice cultivation. The
celebratory tradition of Nabanna, marking the harvest season and the arrival of newrice, has waned in the absence of abundant rice cultivation. Furthermore, thecustomary creation of various rice-based cakes, known as pitha, during the harvestingseason, has become a rare occurrence. The scarcity of new rice cultivation has led tothe extinction of these vibrant cultural practices. Despite these challenges, certain
ICHs are helping the community to build resilience against the climate-related issues.
Impact of ICH practice to resilience in the context of climate change
In the last few years, flood water has been clogged for almost seven to eight months
in Gopalganj and almost ten months in Nazirpur because of climate change. Thischanging climate situation and environment lead to changing the conventional way offarming and agricultural processes of Nazirpur people. Compounding the challenge,
escalating salinity levels have disrupted the cultivation of traditional crops. Though thisarea is not so close to coastal areas, according to the farmers, salinity is increasing
slowly here. So, the conventional monsoon vegetables are not growing now. In
response to these adversities, farmers have turned to age-old traditional knowledge,embracing floating agriculture as an innovative solution to grow crops and vegetables.
Basically, they use water hyacinth to make a bed on clogged water and growvegetables here. They even sell floating beds in neighboring districts because of theavailability of water hyacinth. Floating agriculture was basically practiced on a small
scale before but now almost every farmer in these areas practices floating agriculture(Figure 9).

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Table 3 Impact of climate change on the ICH practices of Tungipara Upazila in Gopalganj

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ICH Domain and practice

Impact of Climate Change

Oral traditions andexpressions
Folklore, myth, jarigaan (native opera), sharigaan (native opera)

Climate change is causing a disturbance to the traditional knowledgeof indigenous communities that is linked to myths and folklore
about the natural environment. The negative impacts on local
ecosystems are disrupting the relationship between environmental
narratives and mythology. Furthermore, climate-induced migrationis resulting in a decrease in the number of people who are maintaining these oral traditions in certain areas.

Performing arts
Jatrapala, Puppet Dance

The people in the area used to take pleasure in Jatrapala and
Puppet Dance. However, due to the changing climate and ecologicalshifts, some of these traditions are becoming less relevant. Thechanging livelihood patterns, influenced by climate change, have led
the artisans of this performing art to switch to different occupations.

Social practices, rituals,
and festive events
Agricultural practices,
Nabanna Utshab, special
prayers (milad/ dua
mahfil)Climate change has significantly altered the agricultural dynamics,
leaving vast expanses of land submerged for approximately 7-8months each year. Compounding the challenge, escalating salinity
levels have disrupted the cultivation of traditional crops. In responseto these adversities, farmers have turned to age-old traditional
knowledge, embracing floating agriculture as an innovative solution
to grow crops and vegetables. This shift has had profound implications on the staple crop, rice, as farmers are no longer able tocultivate it in the waterlogged lands. Instead, they have adopted
cultivating plants on floating beds. This alteration in cultivation
methods has not only transformed the agricultural landscape but
also has disrupted cultural practices associated with rice cultivation.
The celebratory tradition of Nabanna, marking the harvest season
and the arrival of new rice, has waned in the absence of abundant
rice cultivation. Furthermore, the customary creation of various ricebased cakes, known as pitha, during the harvesting season has
become a rare occurrence. The scarcity of new rice cultivation has
led to the fading away of these once vibrant cultural practices.
In the face of unpredictable harvests and changing ecologicalphenomena, farmers have incorporated special prayers into theirrituals. Events such as dua mahfil or milad are organized before thecommencement of cultivation or during periods of unexpected yieldfluctuations. These prayers signify the profound connection
between the farming community and the natural environment,
seeking divine intervention for improved agricultural production.
The evolving ecological challenges have not only necessitatedchanges in agricultural techniques but also have prompted a reevaluation of longstanding cultural practices. The resilience of farmers in
adopting floating agriculture demonstrates their ability to adapt tothe changing climate. Simultaneously, the modification of social
rituals underscores the profound impact of ecological shifts on thecultural fabric of the community.

Traditional craftsmanship
Boat making, fishingequipment

The persistent impact of climate change has led to a situation where
the area is submerged for a significant duration, necessitating a shift
in transportation methods.
In response to increased flooding, boats and small trollers have emerged
as the primary modes of transport for the local population. Recognizing
the need for alternative transportation, residents have begun
crafting and selling boats and small trollers within the local market.
Historically, the community relied on the manual creation of fishingnets (Jaal) and bamboo fishing traps to sustain their livelihoods. In theface of escalating water levels, there has been a noticeable transition
from traditional methods to contemporary solutions. Electric nets
have become a prevalent choice among the local people.

NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONICH Domain and practice

Impact of Climate Change

Knowledge and practices
concerning nature andthe universe
Fishing knowledge,
floating agriculture,
agricultural knowledge

Due to climate change, many people have left farming and started
rearing livestock and poultry, and fisheries.
Floating agriculture, an ancient practice traditionally carried out on asmall scale, has gained increased attention. This age-old technique,now widely adopted in the area, involves utilizing natural resources
such as bamboo and water hyacinth to create floating beds for vegetable cultivation. Residents often sell these floating beds to neighboring districts like Pirojpur.
As an alternative income source and a way to face the impacts ofclimate change impacts, people practice floating agriculture extensively nowadays.
Since the water in the rivers and canals has severely increased,
people often use trollers instead of boats to travel. The use oftrollers has resulted in the erosion of riverbanks due to water flow
and pressure of water. Therefore, land is decreasing day by day.

Table 4

Impact of climate change on the ICH practices of Nazirpur Upazila in Pirojpur

ICH Domain and practice

Impact of Climate Change

Oral traditions andexpressions
Folklore, myth

Climate change has impacted on the local ecology and the traditions.

Performing arts
Jatrapala

People used to enjoy Jatrapala (a special kind of local drama) andKiccha (special local stories) in winter. But these are no longer
practiced and have been replaced by concerts.

Social practices, rituals,
and festive events
Nabanna Utshab (local
harvest celebration),
Milad/ Dua mahfil(special prayers arranged
by a household orcommunity), Baithakata
floating market

Due to climate change the agricultural land remain underwater
almost the whole year. Therefore, farmers cannot grow rice in thelands for which they cultivate plants on floating beds. Since farmers
do not grow plenty of rice, they do not celebrate the Nabanna now.
Moreover, different kinds of cakes (pitha) made with new rice in theharvesting season is no longer seen in this area.
Farmers often arrange special prayers (locally known as dua mahfil/
milad) for better production before starting cultivation or when they
do not get expected harvest.
The locals arrange floating market on the Saturdays and Tuesdays
and sell their products there. It has also been a site for tourism.

Traditional craftsmanship
Boat making, Jaal making(net weaving), Matwoven with beti (a type oftree used to make mats)Due to climate change, the area is underwater most of the time forwhich the main transport for this area has become boat or trollers.
People make boats and small trollers and sell them in the local
market. On Saturdays and Tuesdays, people sell boats in the floating
market.
People used to make fishing nets (jaal). Climate change has resulted
in the increase of water in the locality for which people nowadays
use electric nets imported from the capital Dhaka and hence, people
do not make nets as much as they used to.

Knowledge and practices
concerning nature andthe universe
Fishing knowledge,
floating agriculture,atchala ghar (special typeof two-storied housemade with tin)

Due to climate change, many people have left farming and started
rearing livestock and poultry, and fisheries.
As an alternative income source and a way to face the climatechange impacts, people practice floating agriculture extensively
nowadays.
One of the major attractions of the locality was Atchala Ghar madeby the locals. Atchala Ghar is a two-storied house made of tin. The
upper floor was generally used to store the grains. Because ofclimate change, the locality remains under water almost the wholeyear for which farmers cannot grow rice in the lands. Therefore,
they do not need to store grains for which Atchala Ghar is now
nothing but a hassle to them. So, they are now uninterested in
making these types of houses.

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Figure 9 F loating agriculture (left); newly made floating bed on clogged water using water
hyacinth (right) (Photo: Tahsin Momin Antor)

Impact of ICH ensuring food security, woman empowerment and economic stability
in a changing climate situation
Farmers in this region have turned to floating agriculture, an age-old ICH practice, due
to the climate change disaster. The traditional agriculture in this region used chemicalfertilizers, but floating agriculture, an ancient cultural practice, allows farmers to
produce organic food without chemicals and ensuring food security. They also practicefish farming under the floating beds, producing both protein and vegetables in thesame space. Various vegetables like gourd, bean, cucumber, lady finger, pumpkin,
different types of radishes, cabbage, capsicum, broccoli, pepper are grown on the
floating beds, and after harvest, they share their products with neighbors andrelatives. Furthermore, the practitioners have recently introduced a new vegan feastcelebration after the harvest, which has helped to strengthen their social bonds. In
Nazirpur, farmers cultivate sheola, a type of green algae, as part of their floating
farming practices.
Making a floating bed is a process where the participation of both male and female
members of the family is needed. Male members of the family usually ready the beds,
and female members prepare the seedlings and process the meda (small balls whereseeds are sown at first) (Figure 10). For these tasks, they typically hire both male andfemale daily laborers from their local areas. This provides economic assistance to the
local people in the face of changing climate conditions, leading to economic
empowerment and ensuring gender equality and participation. Unlike other areas
practicing floating agriculture, farmers in Gopalganj only grow and sell vegetables andspices on floating beds. In Nazirpur, farmers only grow plants and sell them inwholesale markets. It is called charar byabsha (wholesale plant business) locally(Figure 11).
Impact of ICH in sustainable resource management and sustainable solution
Floating agriculture, an ICH, serves as a resilience strategy amid changing climaticconditions. Despite disruptions in natural resource management due to climatechange and prolonged floods, the increasing adoption of floating agriculture offers asustainable solution. Water hyacinth, locally known as kochuripana, typicallyconsidered waste, becomes a vital element in creating floating beds. After six to eightmonths, when the floating bed expires, the decomposed kochuripana residue, known

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Figure 10 M eda where seeds are sown
(Photo: Tasnim Khan Lamisa)

Figure 11
Baithakata Floating Market(Photo: Tasnim Khan Lamisa)

as pochla/pocha, transforms into a valuable organic fertilizer. This residue is used onother farming lands, and a significant portion is preserved for the next year’s floating
agriculture. The creation of round balls called meda, incorporating pochla/pocha andother elements, establishes small seedbeds for sowing vegetable seeds. This
innovative practice not only addresses environmental challenges but also contributes
to efficient resource management within the community.
The introduction of floating agriculture in Tungipara and Nazirpur demonstrates aproactive and innovative approach to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Local
farmers have adopted the practice based on their traditions and the community’s
culture and wisdom. This practice is now considered as environment-friendly,
sustainable, and profitable in Bangladesh and also for other countries facing similartypes of climate change conditions. This unique approach highlights Tungipara’s andNazirpur’s significance in the broader context of climate change management, andalso positions it as a model for other regions facing similar challenges. The focus on
floating agriculture serves as evidence of the community’s resilience and adaptive
capacity in the face of climate-related adversities (Figure 12).

KEY FINDINGS OF THE STUDY
The study in the above-mentioned three selected ecological regions has narrowly
focused on various ICH elements belonging to the broad five domains categorized by
UNESCO. Due to time and budget constraints, the study could not cover all theelements in each of the domains mentioned in the 2003 convention. But some of thedomains that are covered by the present study have significant connections withmultiple domains in terms of knowledge, technology, beliefs, rituals, and practices.
Some of the key findings of this study are given below:

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Figure 12
Atchala Ghar
(Photo: Tasnim Khan Lamisa)

1)	Climate change and natural disasters pose significant challenges to the ICH
practices of communities in Sunamganj, Sathkhira, Gopalganj and Nazirpur.
2) 	Some ICH practices are playing a vital role in responding to various climatechange situations/challenges, while others are endangered and/or are going
to be extinct due to adverse impacts of climate change.
3) 	Case study findings clearly show that some of the traditional performing arts
have been helping to raise awareness of climate change and to promotesustainable practices, and motivating to adapt to the new situation developed
due to climate change.
4) 	The ICH elements belonging to different domains have been playing different
roles in the development of social and cultural spaces for building social
harmony and peace during the crisis, disaster and other critical moments.
Some of the performing arts, rituals and practices are significantly helping thecommunities of all these three locations to build strong social cohesion
among the community members and giving motivation to help each otherduring the crisis.
5) 	Some of the elements are helping the local community to strengthen social
bonding, helping each other, building resilience, and finding options foralternative livelihoods. Many of their indigenous technology have been
already lost, or some new technologies have newly innovated to adapt to newsituation.
6) 	The evolving vernacular architecture provides a sustainable alternative to054

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traditional farming and fishing practices that are no longer viable due torising salinity, soil degradation, and river erosion.
It is important to note that the current study cannot be generalized to understand theoverall scenario of Bangladesh as it was conducted in only three specific local areas of
the country. However, the findings can be transferable to other similar contexts. Also,it was not possible for the researchers to conduct in-depth fieldwork during any
ongoing climatic disaster due to limitation of time and budget, which could possibly
draw a broader understanding of the research interest. To better understand theongoing dynamics between ICH and climate change in these regions, a longitudinal
ethnographic study is essential.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, we can say that both climate change and natural disasters are
significantly posing challenges to the ICH practices of the communities in Bangladesh,such as those in Sunamganj, Shyamnagar, Tungipara, and Nazirpur Upazila. But at thesame time, some of the long-lasting ICH elements are also helping to cope with thechanging climatic conditions and to respond to various challenges caused by climatechange and disaster. Some of the traditional performing arts are helping the local
communities to raise awareness of climate change and promote sustainable practices.
Innovation of saline friendly cropping, floating gardening, preserving rainwater for
drinking, roof gardening, roof top food savings, traditional water cooling, boat building
by local materials and others are helping the local people maintaining their life andlivelihoods during floods, cyclones and other climatic disasters. The evolving
vernacular architecture provides a sustainable alternative to traditional farming andfishing practices that are no longer viable due to rising salinity, soil degradation, andriver erosion. To ensure the preservation of these ICH practices and the sustainabilityof these communities, there is a need for long-term disaster response strategies that
can address their specific needs and can support alternative livelihoods. By doing so,
we can help to create a more resilient and sustainable future for these communities
and their ICH practices.

REFERENCES
Rashid, S. (in press). Indigenous Kowledge and Technology in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh Shilpakala
Academy (Ed.). Intangible Cultural Heritage of Bangladesh. Dhaka: Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
Rashid, S., and Hasan, T. (2019). Cultural Heritage at the Nexus of Sea, Forest, and People: Insights into
the Life-world of Coastal People in Bangladesh [Paper presentation]. ‘Expert Meeting for Building
Network for Maritime ICH’ organized by ICHCAP, Hoi An, Viet Nam.
Suvra, K. I. (2021). Haor Regions: Importance, Problems, Strategy and Future Development. Journal of
Economics and Finance, 12(2), pp. 35-48.
Wahab, A. (2007). Folksongs of Bangladesh: A Sociological Study. Dhaka, Bangla Academy.

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ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF NATURAL DISASTERS
ON INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN EASTERN REGION,MONGOLIA
Saruul Arslan 1, Enkhbat Galbadrakh 2, and Ankhsanaa Ganbold 3

BACKGROUNDThis paper examines and assesses Mongolia’s intangible cultural heritage related tonatural disasters based on a field survey conducted in the eastern region of Mongolia.
Mongolia has a high elevation, with a cold and dry climate. It has an extreme
continental climate with long, cold winters and short summers, during which mostprecipitation falls. Mongolia’s climate is characterized by extreme variability and shortterm unpredictability in the summer, and the multiyear averages conceal wide
variations in precipitation, dates of frosts, and occurrences of blizzards and spring dust
storms. Such climate poses severe challenges to human and livestock survival. Official
statistics list less than 1% of the country as arable, 8 to 10% as forest, and the rest as
pasture or desert. Natural landscapes are characterized by alternating natural hazards
such as extreme temperature fluctuations, severe storms, droughts, forest fires anddzud (National Statistics Office of Mongolia, 2022).
Mongolia is vulnerable to over ten natural hazards and disasters, including drought,
dzud, floods, desertification, earthquakes, and human and animal infections.
Unfortunately, the country experiences an average of 3,200 disasters and accidents
each year, resulting in the loss of over 180 lives and the damage amounting to 89
billion Mongolian tugrik. Nonetheless, the situation has not yet escalated to a ‘serious’natural disaster as it has not caused significant environmental changes, impacted
people’s lifestyles, destroyed values, or resulted in mass casualties (National
Emergency Management Agency of Mongolia, 2023).
Hazards Profile
In our research, we have identified four hazards and disasters that could potentiallyharm Mongolia’s intangible cultural heritage (ICH). These hazards include drought,
wildfire, earthquake, and dzud. Among these risks, we have highlighted dzud as theprimary natural hazard that can have a significant impact on Mongolia’s cultural
identity. Our decision to focus on dzud is based on the data gathered from various
sources, including the National Emergency Management Agency, the National
Statistical Office database, and the Information and Research Institute of Meteorology,
1
2
3

Registration and Information Department, National Center for Cultural Heritage, Mongolia
Director, National Center for Cultural Heritage, Mongolia
Preventive Conservation and Risk Study Department, National Center for Cultural Heritage, Mongolia

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Hydrology and Environment.
Dzud is a meteorological occurrence in which severe winter storms ensue as
temperatures plummet below -46°C. The phenomenon is typified by a dearth ofsummer rainfall and a rugged winter characterized by copious amounts of snow,
leading to the death of a substantial number of livestock. Winter storms, in thiscontext, are found to be associated with periods of drought, exacerbating the animals’
susceptibility to harsh weather conditions. In addition, malnourishment can weaken
herds, increasing the losses and reducing future productivity. It is important to notethat the consequences of dzud can have significant economic and social implications,particularly in the areas where livestock serves as a primary source of income.
Mongolians use the following five terms to distinguish different types of dzud, which
are well recognized (Figure 1):
–

–

–

–

–

T sagaan (white) dzud results from high snowfall that prevents livestock fromreaching the grass. It is a frequent and serious disaster that has caused agreat number of deaths.
Khar (black) dzud results from a lack of snowfall in grazing areas, leading toboth livestock and humans lacking water. This type of dzud does not occur
every year, nor does it affect large areas. It mostly happens in the Gobi Desert
region.
Tumur (iron) dzud results from a short wintertime warming, followed by areturn to sub-freezing temperatures. The snow melts and then freezes again,
producing an impenetrable ice-cover that prevents livestock from grazing.
Khuiten (cold) dzud occurs when the temperature drops to very low levels forseveral days. The cold temperature and the strong winds prevent livestockfrom grazing; the animals have to use most of their energy to keep warm.
Khavsarsan (combined) dzud is a combination of at least two of the above
types of dzud.

Mongolia is vulnerable to frequent steppe fires caused mostly by human actions.
Grasslands depend on seasonal fires for growth, but the current approach to firefighting is largely preventive, which endangers the stability of natural ecosystems. The

Figure 1
White dzud occurred in
Khentii province, easternregion in Mongolia, 2023
(Photo: Eagle TV)

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ecological systems are fragile, with low soil depth, making it susceptible to erosion.
Climate change has worsened the situation, with increased heat and cold extremes,
droughts, and reduced water availability, affecting the pastoral industry.
Approximately 35 percent of the Mongolian workforce depends on herding for aconsiderable portion of their livelihoods, while about 63 percent of rural households’
assets are livestock. Livestock herding accounts for approximately one-third of theemployment in Mongolia (National Statistic Office of Mongolia, 2022). The worseningof food security and the potential rise in poverty levels may prompt an increase inrural-to-urban migration. These risks are more likely to have an adverse impact on ICH.
It is improbable that natural disasters caused by severe hazards will significantly affectindividuals living in sparsely populated areas who rely on livestock. However, theincreasing frequency of natural disasters and global climate change necessitates theestablishment of a disaster risk reduction plan within the ICH to prepare for, prevent,and respond to emergencies in the future.

GEOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND OF EASTERN REGION OF MONGOLIA
Eastern Mongolia can be classified into two distinct regions. The northern region
presents a magnificent taiga landscape with pine forests, rugged mountainous
terrains, and robust rivers. Alternatively, the southern region marks the eastern
periphery of the great Gobi Desert.
Eastern Mongolia is also famously known as the ‘land of cranes’ due to seven crane
species, including some scarce, nesting by the rivers and lakes in the region during
summer.
The vast grasslands of Dornod and Sukhbaatar provinces are a prime location forobserving the migration of enormous herds of black-tailed gazelles seeking greener
pastures.
The steppe landscape spans 860,000 km2, with a sizable portion of the land being
government-owned pasture used by approximately 20,000 nomadic herder families
residing in small communities scattered across the eastern area. These pastoralists relyon the fragile steppe landscape and its numerous ecosystem services, from grass towater to wildlife.

OVERVIEW OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN EASTERN MONGOLIA
Throughout history, the vast and boundless steppe of Eastern Mongolia has been thecherished home of multiple ethnic groups, including the Khalkha, Buryat, Zakhchin,
Dariganga, Barga, and Uzemchin (Figure 2).
The never-ending expanse of the eastern Mongolian steppe is adorned with lush,feathery grass that sways gently in the breeze. The nomadic Mongols’ unrelenting
efforts to safeguard and preserve this unspoiled land for future generations signify

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Figure 2 M
 ap of eastern Mongolia, with the location of research areas (Khentii, Dornod, andSukhbaatar provinces) (Source: Information and Research Institute of Meteorology,
Hydrology and Environment)

their deep-rooted nomadic philosophy and profound understanding of nature. The
nomadic philosophy of Mongolia is deeply rooted in a profound understanding andreverence for nature. It emphasizes the importance of living in harmony with theenvironment and has been passed down through generations of Mongolian nomads.
This philosophy is based on the principles of sustainability, respect for nature, and an
appreciation for the interconnectedness of all living things. The Mongolian nomads’
way of life reflects a deep understanding of the natural world and how humans cancoexist with it.
The Integrated State Database of Cultural Heritage of Mongolia reports 11,189
registered ICH practitioners, as well as 277 ICH registered elements. Notably, theeastern region, comprising the Khentii, Dornod, and Sukhbaatar provinces, only
accounts for 1,561 registered ICH practitioners, representing a mere 14% of the total(National Center for Cultural Heritage of Mongolia, 2023).
We have selected the eastern region of Mongolia, which includes the provinces of
Dornod, Khentii, and Sukhbaatar, based on the data we collected during the desk
study conducted in 2021-2022. Our focus is on natural hazards such as dzud, heavy
snow, drought, and wildfire in the context of disaster reduction and their relation to
the ICH elements of various domains.
The ICH domains and elements we have identified are:
1. Social practices, rituals, and festive events:–	Mongolian nomadic rituals and customs–	Customs associated taboos
2.	Traditional techniques, knowledge, and practices concerning nature and theuniverse:–	Traditional knowledge and practices of protecting and preserving nature

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–	Traditional knowledge and practices of observing and studying nature–	Traditional knowledge and practices of choosing new pasture–	Traditional knowledge and practices of observing and studying livestock–	Traditional astronomical knowledge–	Traditional knowledge and practices of naming places
3. Traditional knowledge and techniques:–	Traditional knowledge and techniques of preparing white (milk) dairy
products–	Traditional knowledge, treatment, and medicine–	Traditional knowledge and methods of rearing and educating children–	Traditional knowledge of observing the sky and forecasting weather–	Traditional knowledge of observing plants and pasture–	Traditional knowledge of observing animals and birds

RESEARCH AREA AND METHODOLOGIESThe study aimed to examine natural disasters in Mongolia, specifically focusing on thedzud, a multifactorial natural hazard.
The research utilized the data from the National Emergency Management Agency andthe Information and Research Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment to
identify three natural hazards: drought, wildfire, and dzud (Figure 3-5).
The study focused on the ICH in Eastern Mongolia, which exhibited good grazing
capacity during the summer of 2022. However, this region is in a high-risk area for
wildfires, with some places having a moderate risk of dzud. Some areas may also
experience little or no snowfall, resulting in black dzud that leads to livestock mortality
due to a lack of water and reduced grazing capacity.

Figure 3 D rought and desertification map 2022 (Source: Information and Research Institute ofMeteorology, Hydrology and Environment)

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Figure 4 W
 ildfire, forest and steppe fires map 2022-2023 (Source: Information and ResearchInstitute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment)

Figure 5 D zud risk map as of 3 February, 2023 (Source: Information and Research Institute ofMeteorology, Hydrology and Environment)

The study also aimed to assess the impact of natural disasters on the ICH in theeastern region. To achieve this, the research had three main objectives: firstly, toobserve the types and frequencies of natural disasters in the study areas; secondly, toexplore the community’s traditions, customs, beliefs, culture, religion, and lifestyles
within the study area; and finally, to assess the impact of natural disasters on the ICHof the study area.
The research was conducted extensively with local communities, including in-depth
interviews with key informants and focus groups. Purposive sampling was leveraged to

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carefully select areas that natural disasters, including wildfires, dzud, and droughts,
have severely impacted.
The primary data collection method employed in this study was semi-structured
interviews with herders and renowned practitioners of the ICH domains such as social
practices, rituals, festive events, traditional techniques, knowledge and practices
concerning nature and the universe, traditional knowledge and techniques, andtraditional knowledge and techniques associated with herding livestock.
Interviewees were randomly selected from the Dornod, Khentii, and Sukhbaatar
provinces. All interviewees were over 45 years old, native to the region, and had
experienced several natural disasters. Semi-structured interview questions were
utilized to explore aspects such as natural hazards and disasters, religion, beliefs,
customs, traditions, and lifestyles of the locals.

ASSESSMENTS OF THE IMPACTS OF DISASTERS ON ICH
The herders in these regions possess extraordinary expertise in adapting to natural
occurrences such as drought, wildfire, and the notoriously harsh dzud. Their herding
lifestyle and traditional way of living have enabled them to amass a vast amount ofknowledge and experience. They remain highly vigilant and constantly monitor
weather forecasts from the Information and Research Institute of Meteorology,
Hydrology and Environment, paying particular attention to the Malchin (Herders) TV.
Moreover, they rely on their traditional knowledge to predict weather patterns byclosely observing nature and their livestock. With such exhaustive preparation, they
are always well-equipped to confront these phenomena head-on, minimizing thedamages and ensuring their survival.
However, the impact of natural hazards on the environment cannot be disregarded.
The country faces various effects due to climate change, such as drying up rivers andvast plains, melting glaciers and permafrost, and increasing dust storms and floods.
These changes make it challenging to predict and forecast the weather, andrecovering from disasters requires significant resources.
The country faces a persistent drought and harsh winter conditions, with direconsequences for livestock and herders. During the summer season, livestock typicallybenefit from the growth of pasture, grass, and crops, resulting in weight gain.
However, in 2022, some regions’ moisture deficits caused by drought have reduced
livestock productivity and overgrazing due to the migration of pasture land. This has
resulted in poor pasture quality, making it arduous for the animals to accumulate
sufficient reserves. Furthermore, the thick snow cover and low temperatures during
the winter pose a significant challenge for livestock accessing grazing grounds,
resulting in death from hunger, exhaustion, and cold. Pregnant livestock are at risk of
miscarriage or death, and young animals have a high likelihood of dying, particularly
during the typical peak period of dzud from February to April. The impact andaftermath of the dzud devastate many herding households, often resulting inincreased urban migration to cities such as Ulaanbaatar and the province center.

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The elderly herders dwelling in rural areas have voiced their concerns about thenatural hazards that have arisen due to climate change. They bemoan the impact ofclimate change on all the rivers, vast plains, glaciers, and permafrost. What were once
flowery plains now teem with wormholes, and the skies, once clear, are now polluted.
Climate change has triggered numerous changes in nature, both in Mongolia andworldwide. The light rains in summer and autumn that once provided coverage for theentire country have vanished altogether, and the increase in dust storms in spring andsummer has led to a dearth of moisture.
The persistence of prolonged drought and severe winter events, or dzuds, can have
debilitating consequences for livestock and pastoralists, necessitating extensive
disaster recovery measures. Such interventions entail significant time and resource
investments.
In the face of the combined disasters of drought and dzud, herders are confronting
many challenges. These include:–	The deterioration of pasture and water supply, the need to move away fromone’s home, or pastoral winter migration to another land can be costly anddifficult to find.
–	The decrease in animal fat gain, yield, and quality and the falling prices of
livestock and livestock products due to quality deterioration. The latter
results in a significant reduction in the income of herders, affecting theirability to prepare for winterization and increasing losses due to poor
winter-spring livestock.
–	The availability of consumer goods becomes challenging, and the acquisition
costs increase.
–	Psychological stress and depression have become prevalent, increasing healthand related costs.
Therefore, it is crucial to address these issues and provide sustainable solutions to
mitigate the adverse effects of these challenges.
Numerous interviewees strongly believe ICH is critical in predicting natural
phenomena and taking appropriate measures to mitigate their impact. The customs
and traditions of Mongolian nomads represent a vast knowledge system that has beendeveloped and passed down over generations. A range informs this system of factors,
including geography, climate, herd structure, rituals, and symbolism. Mongolians
closely observe all visible and audible signs to predict climate and natural changes.
Mongolian nomads have moved seasonally for centuries to allow nature to recoverand prevent environmental risks like overgrazing and soil deterioration. They migratewith their herds across the four seasons, adapting to their surroundings based on thecomposition and distribution of their herds. These customs reflect the nomads’ way oflife and serve as a practical measure of natural phenomena.
For instance, they closely observe the sky and weather patterns, using sun signs
rounded witch the circle like ‘sun-stuffing’ or ‘three suns out’ to predict snowfall and

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harsh winter weather. In regions with camels, they even follow the direction in which
the camel looked and laid on New Year’s Day to predict good weather.
As the Mongolian saying goes, animals are an actual book to read the sky, andnomads use their behavior to predict and prepare for natural phenomena.
The loss of Mongolian traditional knowledge is a matter of grave concern, and it is
crucial to ensure its uninterrupted transmission. Familiarizing future generations withtraditional knowledge and spreading it is of paramount importance.
During the course of the interview, it was brought to attention that a comprehensive
approach is required to mitigate potential risks in Mongolia. This approach should
include:–	The evaluation of the livelihoods and disaster preparedness of herders,–	Precise selection and monitoring of drought and dzud risk indicators,–	Guaranteeing ample storage of forage to prepare for increased drought,–	Apprenticeship training for young herders regarding the traditional
knowledge of observing Nature and herding.
–	Efficient otor winter migration of herds, and–	Provision of veterinary services.
Moreover, it is recommended to incorporate traditional knowledge related to natural
phenomena in disaster preparedness training. Emphasis should be placed on
preventive measures to minimize the damage caused by heavy snowfall and cold
weather. Additionally, proactive measures must be taken to mitigate the risks
associated with environmental changes in Mongolia as a result of climate change,
which can result in significant loss of livestock and crop stability.

CONCLUSION
Mongolia is one of the countries with the harshest climates in the world. Its summer
lasts only two months, followed by a long winter with temperatures that can drop as
low as minus 50 degrees Celsius.
Although natural disasters may not significantly impact Mongolians’ living in sparsely
populated areas with their livestock, global climate change and the frequency ofnatural phenomena such as dzud and drought are increasing daily.
The primary drivers of urban migration in Mongolia are the losses caused by dzuds
and the subsequent loss of livelihood options. However, it is important to note that
not all disasters have the same impact on the population. Dzuds are complex events
that interact with various factors such as ecology, socio-economics, institutions, andphysical characteristics.
Many studies have shown that families with a large number of animals are more
resilient and recover more quickly due to their new births and the ability to sell, as
well as being more mobile as they do not have to bear the cost of moving their herds.

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On the other hand, small households cannot afford to increase their herd size toenhance personal resilience due to the high cost of fodder and their family needs.
Consequently, low-income families are at risk of falling into poverty traps, facing
disaster if their herd is lost, and are more likely to suffer from forced migration.
Notably, households following the pastoralist way of life have developed effective
traditional methods and practices to cope with natural phenomena. These sustainableapproaches enable these households to adapt to challenging environments.
According to historical data, it turns into a national-level disaster whenever dzud
occurs in Mongolia with its pasture cattle breeding. The disastrous consequences ofdzud have some definite relationship with the previous year’s grassland yield. It is
proved by much evidence that most disastrous dzud events mainly occur after adroughty summer-autumn period. If the summer is droughty and arid, the dzud should
be expected to happen even if there is not so much snowfall in winter. If thegrassland yield were sufficient in summer, the dzud conditions would not be formed
even if much snow would fall in winter.
Establishing a disaster risk management program is of utmost importance in preparing
for, preventing, and responding to emergencies. Furthermore, including ICH in disaster
reduction and resilience is essential to mitigate the impact of natural hazards. Thisapproach seeks to safeguard a community’s cultural and societal components, which
are often overlooked in disaster management. It is crucial to incorporate ICH into thedisaster reduction and resilience planning process, as it allows for a comprehensive
approach to disaster management that prioritizes the preservation of cultural
heritage.
The field research team has developed recommendations for Mongolian official bodies
and international organizations working in the intangible cultural field. These
recommendations are as follows:–	Intensify research efforts on ICH and natural disasters. Conduct continuous
field research to understand natural disaster risks and their impacts better.
–	Include detailed disaster management regulations in sectorial laws to protect
cultural heritage during disasters. Essential to consider the Law on theProtection of Cultural Heritage.
–	Include the traditional knowledge in the disaster preparedness and mitigation
training of the National Emergency Management Agency.
–	Increase public awareness and promote traditional knowledge.
–	Provide and strengthen social security for ICH practitioners.
–	Implement specific measures that support ICH practitioners and communities
during any disaster or risk.

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Information and Research Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment of Mongolia. (2023).
Reports on Natural Disaster 2022-2023.
National Center for Cultural Heritage of Mongolia. (2023). Data from State Integrated Database of
Cultural Heritage 2022-2023.
National Statistic Office of Mongolia. (2022). National Statistic Report 2022.
National Emergency Management Agency of Mongolia. (2022). Reports on Natural Disaster 20002020.

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ROLES OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN RELATIONTO DISASTER RISK REDUCTION IN BANTUL DISTRICT,SPECIAL REGION OF YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA
Benny Usdianto 1, Fransiskus Asisi Sukoeksi Widanto 1,
Agatia Wenan Tyawati 1, Laras Aridhini 1, and Masami Okabe 2

INTRODUCTION
The Bantul District in the Special Province of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, lies in the active
subduction zone of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates, with its southernside adjacent to the Indian Ocean. According to the Local Disaster Management Officeof the Special Region of Yogyakarta (2021a, 2021b), the geological position of Bantul,
coupled with its geographical location, leads to occurrences of some natural
phenomena such as earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic eruption, floods, and extreme
weather.
Earthquakes are recurrent and affect the life and livelihood of local people. The lastearthquake on the 27th of July 2006 had major impacts on Bantul. Past distantdisaster events are not easy to locate in records but are transmitted throughmythology, old scripts3, or songs (Reid, 2012). Such transmission indicates that
intangible cultural heritage (ICH) plays important roles among the people forcontinuous knowledge of disaster in their vicinity and the probability of its
reoccurrence in the future. ICHs, commonly referred to as kearifan lokal or local
wisdom (Aldiansah, 2021), are known among disaster management (DM) practitioners.
After the tsunami in Aceh in 2004, DM practitioners, academics, and other associates
in disaster risk management (DRM) activities have paid increased attention to ICH,
such as popular the smong in Simeulue Island (Suciani et al., 2018).
According to the Population and Civil Registration Office of the Bantul District (2022),
the population of Bantul is 964,245 (479,742 males and 484,503 females). The entire
population faces earthquake threats. The active Opak faults crosses Bantul from thesouth to northeast and causes recurrence of earthquakes. The earthquake that
occurred in 2006 claimed over 5,000 lives and devastated/damaged thousands ofhomes and affected the livelihood of the population. A total of five villages arelocated in Bantul, namely Parangtritis, Tirtohargo, Srigading, Gadingsari, and Poncosari,which are located by the coastline and face the potential threat of both earthquake
and tsunami (Daryono, 2020).

1
2
3

RedR Indonesia
Urban Culture Research Center, Osaka Metropolitan University
Babad in Sangkakala is a Javanese manuscript presented in prose and discusses history of Java inthe mid-18th century.

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Figure 1 M
 ap of Bantul District in the Island of Java (Source:
5tudiomagnificent5.blogspot.com)

OBJECTIVESThis research aims to understand ICHs in Bantul related to disaster risk reduction(DRR) and to clarify such relationship. This research is focused on selected ICHs thatare clearly related to disaster. This research intends to determine the following: 1)
associated risks of the selected ICHs in Bantul, 2) the relationship of ICHs to DRR, and3) the effectiveness of ICHs for DRR purposes.

METHODOLOGY
The research was conducted in Bantul District from November 2022 to February
2023. Qualitative research methodologies based on literature reviews, data collection,interviews, and focus group discussions (FGD) were applied (Creswell, 2014; Sugiyono,2010). Based on questions such as ‘What are the risks of ICH in Bantul?’ ‘What is therelationship between ICH and DRR?’ and ‘How effective is ICH for DRR activities?’, thecollected data and information were analysed and interpreted via a descriptive
analysis technique to identify the aspects related to ICH and DRR.
Based on literature reviews, the research team selected three ICH elements: labuhan(a traditional ritual ceremony), joglo (vernacular traditional Javanese architecture), andketoprak (a local theatre). The selection of these three ICH elements considered theirrelationship with the DRR. The team conducted interviews with seven ICH
practitioners and five individuals in the community and FGD involving six ICHs and six
DM practitioners.

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In addition to the existing literature, the information used was limited to the selectedresource persons of the interviewees and participants in the FGDs and as such, thefindings are subjective. As initial findings, the results of this research are open forfurther study for the purpose of strengthening community disaster preparedness
measures and revitalizing ICHs in Bantul.

INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE (ICH)
Labuhan in Bantul
Labuhan in Javanese means to wash out offerings. Labuhan originates from the storyof the first Sultan of the Mataram Kingdom in Yogyakarta, Panembahan Senopati, who
united with the mythological figure of Ratu Kidul or Queen of the South Sea/Indian
Ocean in the 16th century (Reid, 2012; Soelarto, 1980). The union resulted inprotection for the King, the kingdom, and the people.
According to the Ministry of Education and Culture (2018), labuhan is conducted to
pay respect to the founders of Mataram Sultanate on every 30th of Rajab in theJavanese calendar. There are two types of labuhan still practiced. Labuhan Alit is anannual ceremony for the celebration of the Sultan’s birthday, and Labuhan Ageng isheld every eight years. Labuhan is held at Parangkusumo Beach in Bantul, Merapi
Volcano in Sleman, Dlepih Kahyangan in Wonogiri, and the summits of Lawu Mountainin Sragen. A ritual ceremony begins at the Sultan Palace and then proceeds to four
locations: Parangkusumo beach, Merapi volcano, Dlepih, and Lawu mountain.
The offerings used in labuhan consist of the Sultan’s personals items (nails, hair, andused clothes), umbrella, flowers, food, and fruits, each of which implies a particularsignificance (Soelarto, 1980). At the end of the ceremony, the offering is washed out
to sea and immediately grabbed by the attending people who believe that the items
provide good luck. The ceremony is believed to bring peace, safety, and prosperity; ifneglected, it may cause calamities. The Sultanate continues to exercise labuhan
annually.
Associated risk of labuhan
Labuhan reflects a social function in people’s lives that becomes hereditary for thoseliving in Yogyakarta. Usman (2023) states that the majority of the local people

Figure 2
Labuhan Ceremony inParangkusumo Beach in Bantul(Source: TribunJogja.Com/Santo
Ari)

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continue to believe that labuhan is a means to express gratitude and request the
Almighty for safety from all kinds of calamity, which include earthquakes andtsunamis. New inhabitants on the southern coast of Bantul who have no familiarity
with the ceremony and monotheists may not exhibit such a belief or perception.
As an ICH element, labuhan is a ritual tradition that does not face a direct threat fromany disaster, but a possible disruption from vandalism by individuals or groups.
Therefore, labuhan is at less risk of fading away.
Relation to DRR
Yulianto’s (2018) recent geo-mythological study explains that tsunami occurred around
400 years ago, a time that presumably coincides with the founding of the Mataram
Sultanate. The presence of Ratu Kidul may be associated with a metaphor of large
waves.
Suraji (2023) assumes that people nowadays cannot relate labuhan and Ratu Kidul
directly to any tsunami event. The perception is confirmed by the fact that there isneither publicly available record nor witnesses in the community from any generation
to refer to. Nevertheless, the wish expressed during labuhan ceremony is to be freefrom any calamity, including the threat of tsunami.
EffectivenessSince the development of the National Tsunami Early Warning System (InaTEWS),
science and technology have been employed as the basis for the development of theknowledge and monitoring, decision-making, dissemination of warnings, andcommunity response (UNISDR, 2006). Ayyub confirms that warning dissemination
technology connects the local warning operation centre at the Local Disaster
Management Office to the sirens installed in the communities. In the Bantul District,this local warning system is tested regularly on the 26th of every month to ensure its
function. The Local Disaster Management Office and the National Agency for Disaster
Management implemented the Disaster Resilient Village programme. This programme
develops village level’s risk analysis, actions plan, early warning system, evacuation
plan, contingency plan, and DRR village forum. Communities show willingness toreceive products of the InaTEWS and use them to strengthen village disaster
preparedness measures.
The annual labuhan ceremony and the mythology of Ratu Kidul may constitutereminders and opportunities to promote DRR towards reoccurrence of earthquakes
and tsunami. Discussions with DRM practitioners reveal that there is a lack ofsystematic approach to utilising mythology for DRR purposes. Local wisdom has been
discussed in different forums, but its implementation remains minimal. This opinion is
also relevant to the National Agency for Disaster Management, which on different
occasions encourages the employment of local wisdom or ICHs to complement
science and technology for socialisation in communities. Relevant mythology can beembedded in disaster preparedness activities in a package that is appropriate for the
local culture to gain acceptance. Efforts are needed to find effective ways to utilise
mythology for different purposes in DRR activities.

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JogloJoglo is a traditional Javanese wooden house commonly found in the Special Region of
Yogyakarta, Central Java, East Java, and Bali provinces, and has the tectonic characterof vernacular architecture of craftsmanship transmitted through generations(Gunawan et al., 2017). Joglo are characterised by a pyramidal roof shape (tajug)
which inhibits hot air from flowing down to the functioning rooms underneath and isthus responsive to the tropical climate (Alvin et al., 2019). The roof is supported byfour main pillars (saka guru), surmounted by a structural element of two main beams(sunduk and kili) and a high multibeam frame (tumpang sari) (Tjahjono, 1999). The
heavy weight of the roof stabilises the pillars (Prihatmaji, 2007), each of which isplaced on a stone or wooden pedestal (umpak) to function as a foundation to bear theheavy structure (Mainah, 2017). During an earthquake, the four wooden pillars of
joglo function as the core structure to withstand the lateral forces (Prihatmaji, 2007).
Each connected joint uses a mortise and tenon (purus) system to lock the joints of thepillars and beams, which allows the joints to adjust flexibly. The overall system allows
joglo to be of a knockdown construction.
Joglo is usually made from teak wood, which is known to be strong, durable, butcostly, and is associated with the traditional dwellings of Javanese noble or wealthyfamilies, either in urban or rural areas; thus, joglo indicate high social status(Kustianingrum, 2009). A total of 12 variant shapes of joglo exist (Gunawan et al.,2017) and each has artistic and old-fashioned elements. Joglo are commonly used forfamily houses, pavilions, or halls. People generally adopt joglo structure for houses,
made of teak or other lower quality of wood (jack fruit, palisander). The three main
components of joglo as a house consist of pendapa in the centre used as a livingroom, dalem ageng at the rear for family rooms, and pringgitan as corridor
connecting the pendapa and dalem ageng. Gebyok of assembled wooden panels isused for the walls and room separators.
Associated risk
Having a reputation as a safe structure, many old joglos survived the devastating
earthquake in Bantul in 2006 (Mainah, 2017) and some past occurrences. Theinterviewees admitted that joglo is a strong and traditionally artistic structure, yet it iscostly to construct and maintain (Dakung, 1998; Dharmasanti, 2020). Constructing
joglo requires considerable land space, which is currently a challenge for manyfamilies. Many families tend to adopt contemporary designs of cemented houses for

Figure 3
The Structure of Joglo(Source: https://www.mebelamara.
com/2016/04/struktur-joglo.htm)

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Figure 4
A Joglo for Dwelling(Source: https://courtina.id/)

practical reasons, less costly and easy maintenance, flexible room divisions, andadjustable designs against available land space.
Aside from using joglo for houses, people build new joglos or reuse old joglos tofunction for different public purposes: offices, pavilions, galleries, restaurants, or
performance halls. New and reused joglos maintain the principles of the structure,with some modifications of cemented walls instead of wooden panels. Joglo continue
to be adopted given its reputation as a safe structure and for preserving traditional
artistic values.
Relation to DRR
According to Mainah (2017), two resistant earthquake systems of joglo: 1) the joints
between the beams, the pillars, and the pedestal move flexibly, and 2) the weight of
the roof on the pillars stabilises in response to earthquake tremors. Alvin (2019)suggested the adaptation of the knockdown design of joglo architecture and foundthat it meets the Sphere Minimum Standard criteria related to the effectiveness(expandability, responsive to local custom and climate) and the efficiency (knockdown,
expandability, aftershock resistant) to be applied in constructing temporary shelters.
Interviewees estimate over 50% of joglo survived the earthquake in 2006. The main
structure of joglo remains standing, and the damaged parts are due to the unstableground.
EffectivenessThe number of joglo erected in Bantul increased for different functions. The originalityof some joglo is maintained, while others have undergone modification. Pamela (2023)
observes that after the 2006 earthquake, a shift was observed in the use of joglo
structures in Bantul from a family house to public purposes (café, hotels). Modificationor simplification of parts of the architecture design is done not only to fit in the landarea and to minimise the building cost but to keep the main structure (roof, pillars,pedestals). The joint system technique in joglo is also useful for other woodworking
jobs.

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Figure 5

Process of Constructing Joglo (Source: Alvin 2019)

Sriyono (2023) states that woodworkers require technical knowledge and skills of thejoglo system for an earthquake-safe building construction and in furniture making.
Socialisations of Javanese architecture guidelines were held after the 2006 earthquake
for rehabilitation and reconstruction work. The events improved the knowledge andinterests of the people regarding Javanese construction, including joglo. Further
similar informal technical knowledge dissemination is still needed for young
woodworkers. People’s interest in Javanese architecture using low-cost wood shall be
encouraged.
Ketoprak
The word ketoprak is onomatopoeic and is derived from the sound kethok and prak ofbeating a lesung (rice pounder), the main instruments used during traditional plays
and performances. Ketoprak was a travelling commercial theatre. However, with theadvent of many other forms of entertainment, the commercial theatre format has
become obsolete and is now often performed by local people for their own
entertainment and some arecommercial in town.
Nurseto (2023) states that ketoprak is performed for between two and three hours bya group of local artists displaying talent and skills with improvisation and spontaneity
on stage. A group of ketoprak usually has a director, script writer, crew, and cast of noless than 15 persons; in a festival, it involves approximately 50 people. Ketoprak ischaracterised by the artistic components of storytelling, singing poems, the repertoireof gamelan, traditional outfits, manners, and stage setting. The themes of ketoprak often
adopt stories based on old kingdom themes or daily life performed in a classic Javanesefashion. Ketoprak may also be formed spontaneously by talented members in villages
for the purpose of celebrating public events, and the stories chosen vary from old themeswith improvised contents and emphasising specific important messages for the public.
Associated risk
As ketoprak performances tell Javanese classic stories, they usually attract older
audiences and a few younger people. Repeated stories and monotonous performances
add to the gradual decrease in audience size over time. According to Nurseto (2023),
this has caused the frequency of ketoprak performance to decrease since 2000, andconsequently led actors to leave their groups. As such, ketoprak faces risk to fade.

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Figure 6
Ketoprak performed by FKKB on
the 20th of May 2023
(Source: Benny Usdianto)

Figure 7
Ketoprak festival in Yogyakarta(Source: SKTV net Official)

Regeneration is considered one of the most important processes in a ketoprak group(Diani, 2020). Problems in regeneration were also strongly discussed among ICH
practitioners during FGD. Ketoprak groups discontinue as they are unable to attract
the interests of young people and are not sufficiently responsive in terms of new formand creativity.
According to conservators, the documentation of ketoprak preserves values which areimportant for study and development. Lieke (2023) states that ICHs are often
preserved inflexibly, which inhibits the development of ICHs. Knowledge about
different media and digitalisation for documentation is necessary to allow
development and adaptation for continuous preservation.
Case Study: Communication Forum of Ketoprak in Bantul District
Established in 2004, the Communication Forum of Ketoprak in the Bantul District(FKKB)4 is a forum with 17 members of smaller ketoprak groups from all the 17
sub-districts in Bantul. FKKB was formed to continue the Wahyu Manunggal Group,
which has been popular since its establishment in Bantul in 1989. The groupexperienced difficulties in replacing actors and members and was later abandoned.
Other ketoprak groups experience similar difficulties in terms of regeneration.
The FKKB is intended to become a venue for dialogue among ketoprak actors for thesustainability of ketoprak; new initiatives by its members to make ketoprak more
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Forum Komunikasi Ketoprak Bantul

NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONattractive are accommodated. FKKB also serves as an open space for the public tolearn about arts performance. The forum envisages the regeneration of ketoprak
actors by conducting open recruitment to reach up to 70% of people under the age of
40 to participate. Recruiting the young are viewed to endure their participations in
performances for longer period.
Nurseto (2023) states that ketoprak is not simply a performance but is instrumental incommunicating ethical messages or good practices to the public. A specific message isformulated and presented in the dialogue. For example, when performing the story of
Cendani, FKKB wrote a script concerning an outbreak of plague in a village that caused
conflict in the community until a local hero appeared and found a solution. The
performance won the award for the best script in a Ketoprak Festival sponsored by
the Special Region of Yogyakarta in 2022.
Relation to DRR
The practitioners claim that, while ketoprak is not directly related to DRR, it has beenutilised in post-disaster phases for entertainment purposes or psychosocial healing
activities for the survivors: for example, during the post-earthquake in Bantul in 2006,
and the Merapi volcano eruption in 2010. In commemoration of the Bantul
earthquakes in 2021, 2022, and 2023, ketoprak was also used to tell stories related todisaster management; the players included government officials of the Bantul District.
EffectivenessThe presence of many ketoprak groups in Bantul has the advantage of reaching broad
communities. As a useful medium, ketoprak creates opportunities to communicate
knowledge and policies related to DRM to the public in between dialogues. Actors
sufficient understanding of specific issues in disaster management and ability tosimplify the language to suit the audience is important.
Disaster practitioners observed that, in many cases, the actors of ketoprak inserted
insensitive jokes relating to gender and inclusion issues. This indicates thatstrengthening actors’ knowledge should be comprehensive and cover disastermanagement issues (risk analysis, prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, andrecovery) and codes of conduct. Not all ketoprak actors have the capability tocomprehend disaster management. In this case, disaster management practitioners’
accompaniment of ketoprak actors may be considered. In Bantul, where many villages
have a DRR Forum, the members may also be involved in the performance tospecifically present messages related to DRR. Both ICH and DRM practitioners admitthat communication between them is still minimal and should be improved for the
purpose of DRR knowledge dissemination.
Good digital documentation of ketoprak for dissemination using various social media iseffective for public education purposes. Social media store audio-visual documentationthat is easily accessible by the community at large. Discussion with the FKKB revealed
that such documentation requires funding that is normally beyond the financial
capacity of most ketoprak groups. Therefore, external support is necessary to facilitate
production of digital documentation.

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Figure 8
A set of gamelan musicalInstruments(Source: Travelingmagz.com)

Development of ICHs
According to Pardiman (2023), modernisation in the community requires adjustments
in practising ICHs. Aside from sustaining ICHs, the adjustment aims to achieve theintended purposes, for example, education, nurturing compassion, and tolerance.
Omah Cangkem, a play studio for children in Bantul, uses gamelan as a medium to
educate children about solidarity and cooperation in a playful atmosphere.
Traditional gamelan music is essential to Javanese performing arts. In the aftermath ofpast disasters, Indonesia’s mutual aid system, known as gotong royong, has attracted
considerable attention during the emergency response and early recovery phases. The
relationship between this system and gamelan music is also noted. In an interview5,
Pardiman, an organiser of traditional arts classes for children at ‘Omah Cangkem’,
pointed out the following regarding the relationship between gotong royong andgamelan music:•	
Gotong royong custom gained considerable attention from around the worldin 2006 after the large earthquake hit Bantul and its surrounding area. It istrue that it is a deeply ingrained Javanese tradition. However, it is not simply
about immediate assistance in the face of every disaster. What allows us tohelp each other so readily is the collaborative spirit and mutual respectnurtured through our traditional performing arts of acapella by children. In
essence, these arts serve as a mechanism for fostering gotong royong.
•	The musical structure of gamelan is that one simple melody is enhanced bymany instruments. The melody played by each player is very simple, butwhen the sounds of all the instruments overlap, the music becomes very
complex. Every player has an equal role in playing music; there is no solo
player as in Western music, and each of the approximately 30 instruments
are played without standing out.
•	Additionally, unlike Western classical music, gamelan does not have aconductor. The drum player becomes the leader and uses the sound of thedrum to give instructions such as the tempo and atmosphere of the music
and how many times to repeat the melody. Therefore, all the other players
must listen carefully to the sound of the drum. In this way, gamelan music is
5078

Mr. Pardiman was interviewed by Okabe Masami and Laras Aridhini at Omah Cangkem Studio in
January 2023.

NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONcharacterised by all the players working together to create a single piece ofmusic and create harmony. This characteristic of everyone working together
to create a single piece of music with no one standing out fosters the customof gotong royong, which is a spirit of mutual aid.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The interviews and FGDs involving the ICH and DRR practitioners revealed thefollowing four viewpoints.
1) ICH Endurance
Labuhan, omah joglo, and ketoprak have withstood various challenges over time andcontinue to endure today in Bantul. The labuhan ceremony continues to be practiced
annually and maintains the same purpose of requesting safety from any potential
calamity in the local community. The traditional omah joglo can be found in both ruraland urban communities. Newer joglos are built by maintaining their original structure
or combining their core structure with current building designs and materials. Joglo
are used for dwelling and different public functions. Today, ketoprak is still performed
voluntarily in villages and professionally in urban areas regardless of continuous
modernisation. This performing art is particular as it is adaptable for modification tosuit changes in the community.
2) Delivery of DRR message
The geomythology of labuhan reveals the relationship between the people and their
immediate living environment; it may be paired with the scientific research findings on
paleotsunami. The combination of local wisdom and scientific information is useful for
public education. Technical information on the traditional architecture of joglo is helpful
for architects and civil engineering engineers in designing safe building structures.
3) Collaboration of ICH and DRR Practitioners
A good understanding of ICHs by DRR practitioners is necessary because it
complements the scientific information commonly used in DRM activities. This
combined information is useful for targeting different elements of the community for
public education. The utilisation of ICHs for DRR purposes, in turn, contributes toensure the longevity of ICHs. ICH practitioners otherwise benefit from a better
understanding of DRR for their respective interests. Thus, collaboration between ICH
and DRR practitioners is important to reciprocally broaden insights.
4) Communal spirit
One of the contributing factors that enables ICHs to withstand the changing era is themutual aid system in the Bantul community. Under the guidance of the Sultanate of
Yogyakarta, the inner circle of the Sultanate and the enthusiasts participate willingly inlabuhan ceremony. The construction of joglo in rural areas voluntarily involves
neighbours and relatives. Much of the organisation and performance of ketoprak arecarried out independently by the cast and crew, which often includes the provision of
costumes, stage setting, transportation, and consumption. Thus, the existing spirit ofmutual aid or gotong royong eases the implementation of ICHs in Bantul.

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SAFEGUARDING INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE FROMDISASTERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY IN IFUGAO, PHILIPPINES

Fatima Gay J. Molina 1 and Marlon M. Martin 2

BACKGROUND
Overview of ICH in the Philippines
The Philippines has about 14-17 million indigenous peoples (IPs) belonging to 110
ethnolinguistic groups mainly concentrated in Northern Luzon (33%) and Mindanao(61%), with few groups in the Visayas area (Camacho et al., 2016; UNDP, 2010). Overthe years, the IPs have practiced the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) that includes
oral traditions and expressions; performance arts; social practices, rituals, and festive
events; knowledge and practices; and traditional craftsmanship, which was passed onfrom one generation to another. For our humanity and culture to survive, it isinevitable to safeguard our ICH which serves as the living heritage. To carry out suchan obligation, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) ratified the2003 Convention after its formal deposit in August 2006. As part of the Philippine
government’s commitment to the convention, it must identify and document ICH
elements, safeguard and promote ICH; foster scientific, technical, and artistic studies,and provide technical assistance and training in the field of ICH.
Currently, the country has a total of five ICH elements inscribed in the UNESCO
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as follows: Hudhudchants of the Ifugao in 2001; Darangen epic of the Maranao people of Lake Lanao in
2005; Punnuk tugging rituals and games in 2015, also of the Ifugao; Buklog of the
Subanen people in 2019 and the School of Living Traditions for good safeguarding
practices in 2021. In 2013, NCCA in collaboration with the International Information
and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region
published Pinagmulan: Enumeration from the Philippine Inventory of Intangible
Cultural Heritage (PIICH), which was edited by Jesus T. Peralta. It contains the initial
inventory of 335 ICH elements and elaborate discussions on the 109 elements. The
Philippine inventory details the first batch which is currently being updated and results
may be released in 5-10 years after the second batch of elements documentation
undergoes the scientific process. The Darangen epic, Punnuk, and kinds of traditional
healing practices such as manghihilot and albularyo healing practices, the belief ofbuhay na tubig (living water), baglan and mandadawak healing practices, and stone
beliefs of Itneg in Abra and magtatawak healing practices of Marinduque werefeatured between 2015 and 2017 in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Courier of1
2

Mobilizing Futures Interdisciplinary Research and Development
Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement

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Asia and the Pacific. As of 2016, there are 367 elements enlisted under the PIICH, theofficial ICH inventory of the Philippines. All elements are listed under the Philippine
Registry of Cultural Property, the official cultural property inventory of the country,
including both tangible and intangible cultural properties. Presently, an ongoing
nomination on the Aklan piña handloom weaving is being worked on by the NCCA.

OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY
The research objectives include the following:(1) identify varieties of ICH in the community, including the knowledge and practices
that are related to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR);(2) identify the community’s disaster risks in general, and assess associated risks on ICH;(3) raise awareness among community members and ICH practitioners on:(a) the disaster risks on their own ICH,(b) elements of ICH that are helpful for DRR; and(4) Discuss with the community:(a) how to reduce the risk of disaster damaging ICH, and(b) how to utilize ICH for the community’s DRR, to develop action plans.
The methodologies and data sets implemented (Table 1) took these objectives into
account.
Table 1084

Summary of Research Objectives, Data sets, and Methodologies

No. Research Objective

Data Sets

Methodologies

1

Identify varieties of ICH
in the community,
including the knowledge and practices thatare related to DRR

Varieties of ICH,
DRR-related knowledge, and practices•Secondary data collection regarding ICH•Key Informant Interview with SITMo,
NCCA and IIHPAS•Focus Group Discussions for the identification of ICH with women, men,
farmers, Indigenous Peoples Mandatory
Representatives (IPMRs) and elders

2

Identify the community’s disaster risks ingeneral, and assess
associated risks on ICH

Disaster risks and its
relationship with ICH•Secondary data collection i.e., gatheringof hazard histories, DRRM plans,Contingency Plans, LCCAP, and laws andpolicies on ICH and DRR•Key Informant Interview with
MDRRMO, Youth representative, and
Women’s Association representative•Focus Group Discussion with women,men, farmers, IPMRs and elders•Disaster timeline workshop with theabove section•Research Outcome Presentation andValidation workshop with the elders,
Kiangan LGU, and NCIP field office3

Raise awareness amongcommunity members
and ICH practitionerson a) the disaster risks
on their own ICH, andb) elements of ICH thatare helpful for DRR

Compilation ofdisaster risks associated to ICH and goodpractices on ICH for
DRR•Research Outcome Presentation andValidation workshop with the elders,
Kiangan LGU, and NCIP field office

NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION

No. Research Objective

Data Sets

Methodologies

4

Research Outcome•Research Outcome Presentation andValidation workshop with the elders,
Kiangan LGU, and NCIP field office

Discuss with thecommunity a) how to
reduce the risk ofdisaster damaging ICH,
and b) how to utilize
ICH for the community’s DRR, to develop
action plans.

Processing of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent
In the Philippines, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) requires theprocessing of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) before performing researchwith the IPs/indigenous cultural communities. This is specified in the NCIP
Administrative Order No. 1, series of 2012 or ‘The Indigenous Knowledge Systems andPractices (IKSPs) and Customary Laws (CLs) Research Documentation Guidelines of
2012’. This process is in line with the implementation of the Indigenous Peoples’
Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997, also known as Republic Act 8371. With this, the researchteam has gone through the following process to carry out the data-gathering
methodologies in the field:
Submission of FPIC application to NCIP-CAR
This process required the submission to the NCIP-Cordillera Administrative Region(CAR) of the following: filled-up application form, research overview, proposed
activities, interview guide, focus group discussion guide, the profile of the researcher,affidavit of undertaking to agree to shoulder the administrative costs incidental to theresearch and payment of Philippine peso (Php) 500 filling fee at the NCIP Regional
Office cashier.
Conduct of pre-IKSP conference with the team leader
Two weeks after the submission, the NCIP-CAR was able to mobilize the members of
the IKSP from the Tinoc Field Office and a work order has been issued to conduct thePre-IKSP Conference with Atty. Cynthia L. Dogwe, the IKSP team leader. At thisconference, she explained the process of acquiring a certification precondition tofacilitate the process of research data-gathering. She also noted that a work plan will
be prepared detailing the process and logistical needs to be budgeted. Initialscheduling of activities was also done, including Conference and Disclosure, Resolution
Making, Negotiation, and Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing.
Conference and disclosure
Two and a half weeks after the Pre-IKSP Conference, the Conference and Disclosure
was held in Kiangan, Ifugao, the field site of the research. This conference was held toorient the ancestral domain (AD) representatives about the provisions of the IPRA andthe FPIC process in relation to the proposed research. The research team alsopresented the process and activities to be done to accomplish the desired research
output.

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Community decision-making, resolution-making, negotiation, and MOA signingOn the same day, the AD representatives came up with their decisions on whether toallow the proposed research to proceed. In this process, they asked questions to theresearch team and negotiated the terms and conditions to be stipulated in the
resolution and MOA. An ICC Resolution and Memorandum of Agreement were signed
among the research team and the community members to obtain the Certification
Precondition. The data-gathering process can only take place once these documents
are released by NCIP-CAR.
Awarding of certification precondition
After the completion of the IKSP report prepared by the IKSP team and submitted toNCIP-CAR, a certification precondition was awarded to the research team to be able tofacilitate the research field data-gathering.
Field Data Gathering
The field data-gathering took place for four days after the certification precondition
was issued. The team employed the following processes:
Key informant interviews (KIIs)
Key informant interviews were done with the Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement(SITMo), NCCA, Tourism officer, and the Ifugao Intangible Heritage Performing Arts
Society (IIHPAS) to identify the varieties of ICH in the community, including theknowledge and practices that are related to disaster risk reduction. The Provincial
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Office, and Youth and Women’s representatives were alsointerviewed to identify the community’s disaster risks in general and assess associatedrisks on ICH.
Focus group discussion
Focus Group Discussions were conducted with women, men, farmers, Indigenous
Peoples’ Mandatory Representatives (IPMRs), and elders for the identification of ICH
and community’s disaster risks in general and assess associated risks on ICH.
Research Validation
After a month, a data validation session with the IPs/ICCs was conducted by the
research team in collaboration with NCIP-CAR and the Field Office to check the resultof the research as required by the MOA. This was completed through thepresentation of the research outcomes and the certificate of validation was signed by
the community members to ensure that they were duly consulted by the research
team.
Once the research is published, the research team has to submit copies of the
publication to the ICCs/IPs of the Tuwali in Banaue Ancestral Domain represented bytheir elders/leaders, Sangguniang Bayan ng Kiangan, Office of the Municipal Mayor,
NCIP-Tinoc Service Center, NCIP-Ifugao Provincial Office and NCIP- CAR.

086

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EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONABOUT THE FIELDSITE
The province of Ifugao (Figure 1) is one of the six provinces situated in the CAR(Figure 2). It is the only locality in the Philippines that has two ICHs inscribed in the
UNESCO intangible heritage element – the Hudhud chants and the Punnuk traditional
tugging ritual. It has an area of 251,778 ha., and lies around a latitude of 16° 35’ northand a longitude of 120° 50’ east. The highest elevation is 2,523 meters above sea levelwith the rice terraces lying above 500 meters above sea level. It is bounded by theMagat River along the southeastern side and many of the upland areas are abode togigantic dipterocarp and pine trees. The province is composed of 11 municipalities.
The Ifugao rice terraces of the Philippines found in the province were listed as one of
the UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1995 and are one of the only two (the otherbeing Hani Rice Terraces in China) world-renowned terraced paddy rice fields with along history listed in the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in
2001 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for their wonderful landscape,farming systems and rich functions (Aguilar et al., 2020; Camacho et al., 2016; Herath
et al., 2015). One of the five rice terraces listed is in Kiangan, the Nagacadan terrace,
which was selected as the field site of this ethnographic research. The said terrace isalso included in the GIAHS because of its reported continuous cultivation of traditional
rice varieties using indigenous farming methods (Aguilar et al., 2020; Fao-Gef, 2014;
FAO, 2017). However, these terraces were reclassified to the World Heritage in Danger
List in 2001 because of the ‘human-induced threats to the site and the need toconcentrate national and international energies on short-term and long-term remedial
and protective actions’ (Camacho et al., 2016; UNESCO, 2008). Dizon et al. (2012)

Figure 1 L ocation Map of Ifugao Province(Source: Dizon et al., 2012)

Figure 2 L ocation Map of Cordillera
Administrative Region (CAR)(Source: Manuta, 1993)

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noted that the terraces’ deterioration is due to the loss of biodiversity because of
bio-piracy, unregulated hunting, indiscriminate use of new technologies, introduction
to new species, accelerated erosion and siltation of the watershed, and reduced farmlabor due to out-migration. More importantly, the ICH related to traditional rituals andagricultural practices of the Tuwali Ifugao (Table 2) must adapt to the shifting
climatological norms.
Table 2 T uwali Rice Production and Consumption Rituals and Activities (Source: Tuwali Women,
Men, Farmers, IPMRs and Elders)Ritual and Activity Purpose

088

Lukya

A rite performed in the granary or alang by the mumbaki for the family justbefore the working period starts in the agricultural calendar. This also marks
for the first time that the bundled palay in the granary may be taken out for
the family’s consumption.

Ubaya

A ritual that is sometimes performed to support the lukya. It is performed in
the village, preferably in the house of the family in whose granary the lukya
was first performed. Tungo or a day of idleness is observed the following day.
People may stay home and no visitor is allowed to enter the village. After thetungo, other families in the village may also perform lukya.

Langiang

This rite is only performed when a long-abandoned ricefield is operated. Tenchicken are offered to the gods.

HipngatThis is performed in the granary, offering four chickens and done after thegeneral cleaning of the ricefield or the ahugabut, when the fields are robustwith vegetables planted on the pingkol. The purpose of the practcie is to
invoke the gods to bless the playa in the granary so that it will not be easily
consumed and it will give strength to the owner/eater.

Ahiballin

This is done by turning the rice stalks and grasses that emerged from the
mud.

Panal

A rite performed in the granary with four chickens for offering. Panal means
laying the seeds. The rite is done to ask the gods to bless the rice seeds sothat all sprout will become robust seedlings. The following day is tungo.

Ahihopnak

After the observation of tungo, the following day, the binong-o or thebundles of rice seeds are carefully laid panicle.

HagophopA rite performed in the granary about a month after the kulpi. This marks the
beginning of the ahikagoko.

Ahikagoko

This is the wedding period of the ricefield and replacing the dead or stunted
rice plants taken from the inhuj-in or reserve seedlings.

Bodad

This rite is performed prior to ahiloba and ahidalu. Three chickens areoffered to the gods, petioning them to make the plans bear abundant grains
and prevent rats from eating the palay.

Ahidolya

The practice to prevent rats from infesting the rice plants or palay, thesurroundings of the ricefield has to be cleaned. The grasses are used as
dolnat (to cover the rat passages).

Ahi-adug

The process wherein the fields are decorated with scarecrows, cloth hangings, four or five run reeds with leaves, bundle of runo to the other,connecting the end of the vine to the post of the allung (a small hut forshade). When there are rice birds, the vine is pulled and all the bundled runo
will move, scaring the birds away.

Paad

This is the rite performed in the granary when the rice grains are about tomature. Three chickens are sacrificed to the gods petitioning then to cause
the rice plants to yield plenty of grains. This is also performed to make apromise to the gods to refrain from eating aquatic foods and certain vegetables until after the harvest.

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Ritual and Activity Purpose
Ahi-aniHarvest time

NgilinThis rite is performed in the granary before the start of the actual harvest. It
starts in the eve of the day of harvest in a rice field.

Inawili

This is a continuation of the ngilin which is done in the early morning. A
chick is offered to the god of covetousness, the umamo. Half of the carcassof the chick is skewered, fastened on a runo with leaves. The reed is thenimplanted on the dike of the ricefield where the harvester will start toharvest. The other half is placed at the door of the granary. This is to pleadto the god of covetousness not to covet the harvest and to ask the othergods to be bestowed their blessings on the harvest. On the harvest day, theritual celebration is centered in the granary while women harvest the grainsin the ricefield, the menfolk gather in the granary where they drink rice
wine, discuss and argue between the various phases of the whole performance. The priest and priestesses perform all the various steps of the rite ofani and narrate the myth about Ballituk and Cabbigat from the start up to
the point where the harvested rice crop that was taken from Kabunyan(skyworld) to the earth world or Kiyangan.
If the rice owner is affluent, a pig is used and added to the chickens as
offering. The general eating is done at mid-afternoon. But reapers are fed
earlier.
During the harvest, three or four women are assigned for the seed selections (mamang-o).

Ahiponpon

This is the time when the palay will be nicely piled in the granary. This isdone about a month after harvesting the palay.

TuldagThis is the rite where three chickens are offered to the gods to protect thepalay in the granary. It also means that the granary is closed and there will
be no getting of palay until lukya is performed. At this time, bakle is set.

Ahibakle

This is a festival time for the villagers. The villagers grind the poundedglutinous rice into very fine powder, adding sugar cane juice, making adough, and wrapping it with littuku leaves or banana leaves.

Upin

It is a simple ritual performed in the home after the harvest season. The
mumbaki invoke the gods to bless the harvested palay and the granaries ofthe people away from ailments, famine and to make them prosperous,
healthy and peaceful. The following days are tungo and nobody must go to
the field. If a person disobeys, the said individual will be cursed that all bad
omens shall be upon him/her.
This is also the time that women go to the field to remove the big shrubs,
make a few pingkol, one of two in each rice paddy, and gathers spiders fromthe rice field to be makahiw (the material to be used for the next ritual).

Kahiw

This is also a rite performed in the home for the purpose of realizing thepeople from the promise they made to be gods during the paad, that they
will refrain from eating aquatic animals and legume vegetables. This rite
marks the end of the Ifugao agricultural calendar.

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Kiangan Geophysical and Demographic Profile
Kiangan, a 4th class municipality3 is in northern Luzon, Ifugao province, 16° 47’N,
21° 06’E at 800 m elevation. It is in the southwest direction of the province of Ifugao:bounded on the east by the municipalities of Lagawe and Lamut, west by Tinoc, northby Hingyon, and south by Asipulo. It is identified as the oldest town in the province.
Its name is said to be derived from Kiyyangan, an ancient village near the Ibulao River
across the Lagawe valley. The said village is enshrined in the Ifugao mythology as thedwelling of Wigan and Bugan, the mythological ancestors of the Ifugao people.
Kiangan has a total land area of 20,419.2071 ha., with 70 ha. allocated for rice
farming. Its typical cropping pattern is rice followed by mixed vegetables and legumes
in terraced and unterraced fields on gradually sloping hillsides. Other land uses
include timber/forest land, grassland, residential, etc. (Camacho, et al., 2016). Figure 3
shows the municipal map. It is politically subdivided into 14 villages, locally known asbarangays, the smallest political unit of the Philippines. These barangays (as seen in
Table 3) are led by elected officials such as the Barangay Captain (village chieftain) and
Barangay Council composed of members referred to as the Barangay Councilors. The
people of Ifugao also set categories for their land use as noted in Table 4.

Table 3

Barangays of Kiangan, Ifugao

Barangays

Figure 3 M
 ap of the Municipality of Kiangan(Source: Manuta, 1993)

3

090

(1)

Ambabag(2)

Baguinge

(3)

Bolog

(4)

Bokiawan(5)

Dalligan

(6)

Duit

(7)

Hucab

(8)

Julongan(9)

Lingay(10)

Mungayang(11)

Nagacadan(12)

Pindongan(13)

Poblacion(14)

TuplacUnder Republic Act 11964, municipalities shall be classified into five classes according to theirincome ranges and based on average annual regular income for three fiscal years preceding ageneral income reclassification. Local government units (LGUs) will be classified as First Class, ormunicipalities earning an annual average income of Php 200,000,000; Second Class, municipalities
earning an average annual income of Php 160,000,000 or more, but less than Php 200,000,000;
Third Class, those earning Php 130,000,000 or more, but less than Php 160,000,000; Fourth Class,those with an annual average regular income of Php 90,000,000 or more, but less than Php
130,000,000; and, Fifth Class, those with an average annual income of less than Php 90,000,000.

NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION

Table 4 L and Use Categories of the Ifugao (Source: Tuwali Women, Men, Farmers, IPMRs andElders, adapted from Acabado, 2013)
Local Term

Land Usage

Description

MagulunGrassland

Exposed ridge and slopeland; untilled soil with low herbaceous
grasses; public (in any given region); unmanaged; minimalvalue; source of roof thatch, game; not cultivated without new
irrigation sources; usually far from densely inhabited areas

MuyongForestSlopeland; undisturbed soil; naturally woody cover; public (forresidents of same watershed region); unmanaged; source offirewood, forest products, game

Runo

High grassland orcane grassland

High grassland or cane grassland with secondary growth
Miscanthus association; mostly slopeland; unworked soil
covered with various stages of second-growth herbaceous andligneous vegetation dominated by dense clumps of tall canegrass; some protection and management (canegrass muchused for construction, fencing, etc.)

Muyung/PinugūWoodlot

Slopeland; unturned soil; covered with high tree growth(timber and fruit trees, climbing rattan, etc.); privately owned
and managed (some planting of tree, vine, and bamboo types),with definite boundaries; valued for timber, other products,
and protection of lower farmland from runoff and erosionHābalSwidden

Slopeland, often contour-ridges; cultivated; heavily plantedwith sweet potatoes and moderately intercropped (including
rice below 600–700 m); discrete temporary boundaries forcultivation period of several years

Lintaangan/
AldatanBackyard

Leveled terrace land; surface smooth or paved but not tilled;
primarily house and granary yards; workspace for grain drying
and similar activities; discrete, often fenced or walled

Dolya

Slopping area

A slopping area for the planting of vegetables

Payo

Rice field

Leveled terrace farmland; bounded to retain water for shallow
inundation for cultivation of wet-field rice

PingkolMounded field

A mound of compostable materials carefully mounded for thecultivation of vegetables with a short span of life (e.g. pechay,
string beans, cabbage, onions, garlic) within the rice field. After
that, when the planting season is nearing, it is used as organic
fertilizer.

Population
There are three ethnolinguistic groups in the Ifugao locality: the Ayangan, which arecommon in the northeast and southwestern portion of the province, the Tuwali wholive in the northwestern part, and the Kalanguya who live in the outskirts of themunicipality. For this research, the Tuwali are the ones involved. About 72% of thepeople are engaged in farming as a source of subsistence, livelihood, andemployment. The poverty incidence of the municipality is 53.9%, where 1,592 out of
3,432 households have an income below the poverty threshold. There are also 973
households with income below the food threshold at a total of 32.9%.
As of the 2020 census, the municipality of Kiangan has a population of 17,691 people.
Ifugao Theism
Before the introduction of the Roman Catholic church, the people of Ifugao people
subdivided the universe into five regions: Kabunyan, the Skyworld i.e. the place where

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deities are or Angadal (meaning the region above); Darom, the Underworld; Lagud; theDownstream Region; Daya, the Upstream Region; and, Pugao, the Region of the Earth(Lambrecht, 1957). The Ifugao worshipped two important classes of deities among these
five regions, whom we may call the rice culture deities and the foetus-maker deities.
These deities live in special villages in the four supernatural regions (the Underworld,
the Skyworld, the Downstream, and Upstream Regions). However, despite the presence ofmany gods and deities, the Ifugaos have no supreme being. The notion of the supreme
being is embodied by Maknongan of the Skyworld, who is the chief of all the others.
But today, one of the risks faced in safeguarding ICH as disclosed by community
respondents is the fact that the majority of the people in Ifugao have embraced
Christianity. Most of them are already affiliated with the Roman Catholic church, andthe children and youth attend catholic schools.
Kiangan Disaster Risk Profile
The climate of Ifugao province where the municipality of Kiangan is located is Type 3,
which is characterized by no very pronounced maximum rain period, with a short dry
season lasting only from one to three months (with only a short dry season fromJanuary to April and a long-wet season from May to December). The Department ofEnvironment and Natural Resources (DENR, 2014) wrote that the average monthly
rainfall is between 15 and 18.5 mm in areas with a high elevation and between 27.43
and 30.18 mm in the lowlands. Figure 4 summarizes the tropical cyclones’ tracks thatpassed through CAR from 1960 to 2021, Figure 5 shows the monthly distribution oftropical cyclones in CAR from 1960 to 2021, Figure 6 showcases the breakdown of
categories of tropical cyclones in CAR from 1960 to 2021 and Figure 7 displays theannual number of tropical cyclones in CAR from 1960 to 2021. Figure 8 details theareas affected by floods along with landslides.
Apart from hydrometeorological hazards, the area is also prone to geological hazards
such as earthquakes. The research interlocutors mentioned that their mostmemorable was the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck the province of Ifugao andits neighboring areas in 1990. The Department of Health reported that there were1,283 casualties and 2,786 injuries due to the said disaster.
Ifugao Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office shared that the province istraversed by the Digdig fault, particularly the heritage municipalities of Hungduan and
Banaue. It was suggested that it should be declared as a no-build zone and be used asa planting site to cushion the possible impact of an earthquake that may occur in thearea. Figure 9 details the distribution of active faults in CAR.
The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office noted Kiangan as
among the ten municipalities of Ifugao that is landslide prone. Landslides are often
triggered by rainfall. During the intense duration of rainy seasons, water flows frommountain tops through V-shape gullies, creeks, and streams traversing the slopes. Thismay cause slides and erosions over and within the village areas that lead to loss of life,and damages to properties, crops, and infrastructure. This further causes the closure ofaccess roads especially the Ibulao–Kiangan road as well as the Nagacadan–Tinoc Road.

092

NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION

Figure 4 T ropical Cyclone Tracks in CAR from 1960 to 2021 (Source: Climatology andAgrometeorology Division, Department of Science and Technology – Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, 2023)

30
25
20
15
10
5
0
# of TC

Jan
0

Feb
0

Mar
0

Apr
1

May
7

Jun
7

Jul
25

Aug
22

Sep
21

Oct
28

Nov
8

Dec
3

Figure 5 M onthly Distribution of Tropical Cyclones in CAR from 1960 to 2021
(Source: Climatology and Agrometeorology Division, Department of
Science and Technology – Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical andAstronomical Services Administration, 2023)

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Tropical Depression
Tropical Storm
Severe Tropical Storm
Typhoon29
23.77%
37
30.33%

13
10.66%

23
18.85%
20
16.39%

Super Typhoon

Figure 6 C ategory of Tropical Cyclones in CAR from 1960 to 2021
(Source: Climatology and Agrometeorology Division, Department of
Science and Technology – Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical andAstronomical Services Administration, 2023)

6

Number of TC

5
4
3
2
1
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020

0

Figure 7 A
 nnual Number of Tropical Cyclones in CAR from 1960 to 2021
(Source: Climatology and Agrometeorology Division, Department of
Science and Technology – Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical andAstronomical Services Administration, 2023)

Figure 8 M
 ap of Geo-hazards affecting the Municipality of Kiangan(Source: Municipal Planning Team, n.d.)094

NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION

Figure 9
Map of Active Faults in CAR(Source: Philippines Institute ofVolcanology and Seismology,
Department of Science andTechnology, April 2015)

These disasters, hazards, and the deterioration of the rice terraces pose a threat to thecontinuity of the ICH practice along with the limited awareness of ICH across different
sectors in the country, low appreciation of traditional craftsmanship and materials dueto the access to various technologies, presence of technological risk analysis tools andthe changing context of hazards, movement of people, loss/damage/replacement oftraditional materials of place and tools associated with the ICH performance and deathof the cultural bearers resulting to the limited intergenerational knowledge transfer.

ICH IN KIANGAN
Hudhud: Current ICH Inscribed in 2008 (3.COM) on the Representative List of theIntangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2001)
UNESCO proclaimed the Ifugao epic Hudhud as one of the 19 masterpieces of the oral
and intangible heritage of humanity in 2001. It was recognized based on: 1) its
outstanding value, 2) its roots in the cultural tradition or cultural history of thecommunity concerned; 3) its role as a means of affirming the cultural identity of thepeoples and communities concerned; 4) its proof of excellence in the application of
the skill and technical qualities displayed; 5) its value as a unique testimony of a living
cultural tradition; and 6) its risk of disappearing. The said award was intended to raiseawareness about the importance of safeguarding intangible heritage, with thefollowing objectives: 1) to raise awareness among the public, and to recognize the

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importance of oral and intangible heritage and the need to safeguard and revitalize it;2) to evaluate and take stock of the world’s oral and intangible heritage; 3) toencourage countries to establish national inventories of the intangible heritage andprovide legal and administrative measures for its protection; and 4) to promote theparticipation of traditional artists and local creators in identifying and revitalizing theintangible heritage (ACCU, 2002; Batin, 2014).
Hudhud is historical narrative chants performed by the local Ifugao community
members during the rice sowing season, funerals, and rituals (Blench and Campos,
2010; Moore, 2015; Royeca and Molina, 2018). It details at least 40 historical tales for aperiod of three to seven days (Moore, 2015; Peralta, 2008; Royeca and Molina, 2018).
ICH in Disaster Risk Management
During the conduct of the fieldwork, the community members composed of women,men, farmers, Indigenous Peoples’ Mandatory Representatives (IPMRs), and elders
were also consulted about the natural hazards they experienced over the years alongwith the ICH they used to cope and recover from the situations. Table 5 presents theirexperience.
Table 5 C ommunity Hazard Experiences and ICH Used (Source: Tuwali Women, Men, Farmers,
IPMRs and Elders)

096

Year

Hazard/ Disaster

ImpactICH Used1956

Mt. AtadeLandslide– Displaced families– Damaged forest trees and banana
plants– Death of livestock and poultry animals– Soil erosion– Evacuation of 4 families

Baddang
Opah
Honga

1964

Five days ofheavy rains– Landslide– Damaged roads– Damaged houses and rice fields

Baddang
Opah
Honga

1967

Drought–D ried rice plants–C racked rice fields– S oil erosion (after the rain came)– F amine

BaddangOpah
Honga
Bayuhibi

Between
1968–1969

Earthquake– E vacuation of families– L andslide– L iquefaction in some arease.g., Poblacion and Nagacadan– S lightly damaged houses–D amaged rice paddy

Baddang
Honga

July 16, 1990

Earthquake– Several aftershocks– Landslide– Grounded topography in some parts ofKiangan Town
– Food shortage– Road closure– Disruption of livelihood and economic
activities– Heavily damaged houses and ricepaddies– Increase in the prices of commodities

Baddang
Opah
Honga

NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONYear

Hazard/ Disaster

ImpactICH Used1991

Mt. Pinatubo
Eruption– Volcanic ashfall– Induced respiratory diseases e.g.,asthma, pneumonia– Damaged crops and vegetation coveredby ashfall

Baddang

1998

Drought– Bamboo has flowered, a sign of famineand hunger

Bayuhibi

2004

Typhoon Yoyong(International
name:Nanmadol)– L andslide–D amaged rice paddies and rice fields–D amaged vegetation and fruits– S ome casualties among Kiangan
residents–D eath of animals e.g., pigs–U
 prooted trees– E rosion of rice fields

Baddang
Opah
Honga

2005

El Niño

–D amaged rice paddies and vegetation–A bsence of water–D eath of livestock animals–H unger– F ood scarcity

Prayers
Baki
Baddang(also received
livelihood assistance from thegovernment)

August 29,
2007

Continuous
heavy rain
resulting tolandslide in
Hingyon, Ifugao– 4 casualties– 1 injured– 1 totally damaged houses– Road closure– 2 partially damaged houses

Baddang - searchand rescue
operation
Financial, material and foodassistance2008

Continuous
heavy rains– Soil erosion– 9 casualties– Landslide– Damaged rice paddies due to silt
– Damaged houses– Road closure

BaddangOpah
Honga
Inubaya/Ubaya

May 7, 2009

2 landslides atPoblacion
Landslide at
Dinapugan– Road closure– Disrupted businesses

Clearing of roads

May 8, 2009Landslide at
Maitab, Lagawe–8 casualties
 Totally damaged houses–8–D amaged roads–R oad closure–D isrupted businesses–D isplaced families

Baddang - searchand rescue
operation
Financial andmaterial assistance
Helpedcommuters crossover area
Use of dogs tosmell missing
buried person

2009

Typhoon Ondoy(International
name: Ketsana)
resulting to 2
landslides in
Poblacion,
Kiangan– 6 casualties– 2 totally damaged houses– Road closure– Displaced families

Baddang - searchand rescue
operation
Financial, material and foodassistance

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Based on the interlocutors’ sharing and discussions, the following are the ICH
practices in relation to natural hazards and disasters. This may also address climatechange since it can be employed in long-term shifts of temperatures and weather
patterns.
Baddang
The practice and principle of Baddang among the people of Kiangan are important indisaster risk management (DRM) because they cover all aspects of the four thematic
areas: disaster preparedness, disaster prevention and mitigation, disaster response,and disaster rehabilitation and recovery. Apart from the simple gesture of helping thecommuters cross over a particular area, Baddang is also manifested in the conduct ofsearch and rescue operations after a particular disaster event. It also covers helping
each other in any way to prepare, prevent, mitigate, respond, rehabilitate, and recoverfrom any hazard or disaster event. It is a multi-stakeholder partnership andengagement that fosters a collective process of DRM. The Institute for Climate andSustainable Cities wrote that Baddang is a form of bayanihan system that is key tocommunity adaptation along with cooperative labor groups of Ifugao. As a postdisaster intervention, the whole community offers help to its affected members: it canbe in the form of clearing blocked roads, destroyed houses, and eroded farmlands.
These were also attested by the community members, and they also disclosed that in
the earlier times, they helped move the houses of their fellow community people as
the need arose and if their farmlands were destroyed, they assisted in thereconstruction of the rice paddies. This could be the reason why up to this day, therice terraces that were identified as UNESCO World Heritage sites in Kiangan are stillintact and managed well.
Honga
Another widely mentioned ICH among the participants of the data-gathering sessions
is the performance of Honga. Among the Tuwali, the Honga is done to cure a sickperson. It can be practiced in healing all kinds of sickness, like post-traumatic stressdisorder that one may experience after a particular disaster. The said ritual can be also
performed to gain prestige and express gratitude. The thanksgiving process has two
kinds: Hongah di kitaguwan, which happens inside a house, and Hongah de page,
which transpires in the rice field. In Hongah di kitaguwan, the household conducts thethanksgiving ceremony to express gratefulness for the good life, and favorable statusof the family and to wish for the continuous abundance and wellness of the family.
For Hongah de page, thanksgiving is done 12 times to follow the agricultural calendarof farming. This ritual is practiced ensuring good yield in the coming harvest season.
Honga is performed by a Mumbaki, a male Ifugao religious specialist or the native
shaman. The process of Honga involves a prayer (that depends on the religion of thefamily) and the butchering of pigs. The number of pigs depends on the economic
status of the family leading it.
Opah
Opah is another post-disaster ritual and is done when somebody dies. It is practiced
seven to nine days after the body is buried to force the souls into the place where
their ancestors dwell. It is a ritual that calls for the spirit of the dead to get down

098

NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION

from the sky since it is believed that, when the mortal body dies violently, its spirit
wanders up the sky.
Tuguinay (2009) narrated that it is also performed after the bone cleansing ritualcalled Bogwa when the family is ready to bring home the bones. The Opah ritual isonce again done in the morning before the bones are brought in the afternoon. The
ritual also involves name–calling the living persons who helped or handled the victim
after the incident. A pig is butchered during the process. A cluster of the red Dongla
leaves are tied to the hilt of the spear which is briskly raised towards the sky in the
direction of the sun by the Mumbaki who shouts the name of the dead person. The
spear is abruptly reversed with the blade towards the liga-u (rice winowing tray)
shaking it briskly. The pig is also used for the practice of Bogwa.
Bayuhibi
This ritual was performed to invoke Gods for rains during drought in Kiangan andother parts of Ifugao. The word Bayuhibi means rain shower (Ananayo, 2009). It is oneof the types of rains experienced in Ifugao along with Dondonyag, having sunshine
while it is raining, and Dumalallu, when hail accompanies heavy rainfall.
InubayaThis ritual was suddenly performed after the death of nine people in Kiangan due tostrong rains in 2008. This is a special practice that is no longer performed after a longtime. According to the SITMo CEO, ‘disasters also lead to the remembrance of oldpractices that are no longer popular in today’s generation. Disasters also help the
people realize and recognize our ICH that is already forgotten by the younger people’.
A Munhaw-e, lead chanter and Mumbaki leads the Inubaya. It is a ritual for rice andmen performed to drive evil spirits away for the welfare and protection of the people.
Baki
Dulawan (1989) wrote that baki is the sacrificial ritual performed on all important
occasions. The ritual is divided into ‘the ritual for people’ and ‘the ritual for riceculture’. As for the rituals for people, some examples are rituals for childbirth,
diagnosis of an illness, healing, epidemics, and protection of health and wealth. As forthe rice culture, it includes rituals performed at different times of the agricultural
cycle: sowing, before transplanting, after transplanting, when rice plants grow newleaves, when rice grains form, harvest time, stacking rice in the granary, and theremoving of first rice bundles from the granary. Most rituals follow a general pattern
beginning with a) an invocation to ancestors, messengers, cultural heroes, and gods;b) offering and divination; c) chanting (usually of myths or legends); and d) a repeat of
the invocation and conclusion. A chicken is usually sacrificed and its gall bladder isread to determine the efficacy of the ritual. Aside from chickens, there are also pigs.

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SAFEGUARDING ICH FOR THE CONTINUITY OF A HERITAGE AND DISASTER AND
CLIMATE RISK REDUCTION
Leadership and Partnership of Local Government Units (LGU) with Various Sectors
and the Involvement of the NCIP, IPMRs, and Indigenous People’s Organizations(IPOs)In a key informant interview with the Tourism Officer, he disclosed the importance ofthe local government leadership and partnership with manifold stakeholders insafeguarding ICH, as stipulated by this narrative, ‘The LGU must take a lead role inpreserving (our) intangible heritage because we see this as our identity. We are trying
to partner with private institutions like the Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement, orother groups that are involved in cultural conservation. The reason why we must do
this is because we see so many changes and adaptation(s) coming from young
generations. Once we do not do something to protect our culture, there might come atime when we will lose this identity. We are going to mainstream the culture whichmeans our identity as indigenous people will stay as much longer as it can. So, theLGU must take a major role in these initiatives. So far, what the LGU is doing is I
couldn’t mention that we are partnering with some other organizations that involved
themselves in cultural conservation. But we also have our initiatives, like to host acultural festival. We try to fund, as much as we can, the existing traditions that are stillin here’.
This was also supported by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Officer. She noted, ‘It is important to involve the LGU as the focal agency in leading
and fostering partnership, not just for ICH safeguarding, but also for the overall
framework of the disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM)’.
In the validation session of the research, the participants noted that the NCIP alongwith the IPMRs and IPOs have a huge role to play in the safeguarding of the ICH since
they are the practitioners and frontliners of the praxis of the ICH. Without them, no
one will continually conduct and promote all the ICH of the Ifugao people.
Conduct of Various Festivals to Commemorate ICH
One of the celebrations commemorated by the community to ensure the continuity
and passing on of ICH is the Gotad Ad Kiangan, the annual town fiesta of themunicipality of Kiangan. This festivity is celebrated between April and May. It is afestival of traditional Ifugao performing arts of dancing and chanting. It is inspired byuya-uy, an Ifugao prestige ritual, which is a required step for couples to be elevated to
the kadangyan (noble) status. It also functions as a mechanism to invoke the deities
for more children if they only have one child or if they are childless. It involves several
days and may even reach a month of performance of naba nights filled with thebeating of the gong, announcing to the community that a couple is undergoing theprestige ritual. Critical to the uya-uy is the observance of holyat that culminates thelong nights of observing the naba. The holyat then is a prelude and the start of thecelebration of gotad, when the whole community joins in the festivity with thebeating of gongs, butchering of animals, drinking of rice wine, and dancing. Apartfrom the abovementioned festival, they also sponsor a post-harvest festival. Other100

NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONthan that, an ordinance for Kalanguya and Ayangan Festival was also authored by thecurrent local chief executive when he was still a councilor.
Indigenous Peoples’ Education (IPEd)
The municipality of Kiangan also implements Indigenous Peoples’ Education (IPEd)
since 2004. IPEd is a program of the Department of Education (DepEd)
institutionalized through DepEd Order 62, series of 2011, or the National Indigenous
Peoples Education Policy Framework. The policy adopts a rights-based approach anddirects the implementation of an education that is anchored on the social and culturalcontext of IP learners. The Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practice (IKSP) modules
along with Math, Science, and English subjects are the coverage of IPEd. Table 6
summarizes its timeline in the Philippines based on the laws and policies enacted in
the country.
One of the key groups that led the establishment of IPEd in Kiangan is the Save theIfugao Terraces Movement (SITMo), a non-governmental organization. Its advocacy is
to educate the community members and the youth about the Ifugao culture througheducation in schools. SITMo believes that there is a need to change the way youth
and children are being taught. In 2006, it partnered with Ifugao State University andthe Department of Education (DepEd) in the mainstreaming of indigenous knowledgein education through the development of modules on Ifugao indigenous knowledge
that localized and contextualized education. SITMo also led the development of the
IPEd Center, which includes a library and museum of textiles and artifacts. It alsocollaborated with the NCIP for the line agency to teach indigenous knowledge to the
Ifugao people.
Before SITMo, a national office called the Ifugao Terraces Commission (ITC) advocatedfor indigenous education in Ifugao province. The aforementioned is a presidentialcommission that formulates short and long-term plans for the restoration andpreservation of the Ifugao rice terraces in the municipalities of Banaue, Hungduan,

Table 6 Indigenous Peoples Education Timeline in the Philippines (Source: IIHPAS President, n.d.)Year

Law/Policy

Implication

1997

Republic Act 8371: Indigenous Peoples
Rights Act

Recognition and protection of the rights ofindigenous cultural communities/IPs

2004

Department of Education (DepEd) Order
42 series 2004

Permit to operate Primary Schools for IPs
and cultural communities

2010

DepEd Order 101 series 2010

The Alternative Learning System for IPs

2011

DepEd Order 62 series 2011

Adopting the National Indigenous Peoples
Education Policy Framework

2013

Republic Act 10533

The Enhanced Basic Education Curriculum
Act of 20132016

DepEd Order 22 series 2016

Indigenous peoples Education Programsupport fund2019

Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
Memorandum Order (CMO) 2 series 2019

Integration of IP studies in the relevanthigher education institutions

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Mayoyao, and Kiangan. It was created through Executive Order (EO) No. 158 on
February 18, 1994, under the term of former President Fidel V. Ramos. In 1999, it was
replaced by the Banaue Rice Terraces Task Force through EO No. 77, which was
mandated to restore, preserve, and develop the Ifugao rice terraces as well as toprepare a development plan. In 2002, the Banaue Rice Terraces Task Force’s functions
were transferred to the Provincial Government of Ifugao. This resulted in thedevelopment of the Ifugao Rice Terraces Cultural and Heritage Office under the Officeof the Provincial Governor, which was later replaced by the Ifugao Cultural Heritage
Office.
Establishment of Ifugao Intangible Heritage Performing Arts Society
It is crucial to establish a group that values and practices ICH since it will pave the way
for the intergenerational knowledge transfer and popularization of the heritage
outside of their area. The Ifugao Intangible Heritage Performing Arts Society (IIHPAS) isan example. The group was originally known as the Ifugao Performing Arts group. It
was organized in partnership with SITMo, and the head of the Ifugao Museum serves
as its president. In an interview with the president, she explained that theorganization was established to ‘get to know more about our culture and promote ourheritage in today’s generation’.
To become a member of IIHPAS, one must be willing to learn performing arts such asmusic and dances of the Ifugao. It also requires its membership fees: an annual
membership of 50 Php (roughly 1 USD) or 300 Php (about 6 USD) for a lifetime
membership. Currently, there are 60 members of IIHPAS. Half of them are affiliatedwith the Tuwali IP group which came from the 14 barangays of Kiangan, and the otherhalf are affiliated with the Ayangan IP group which came from the Municipality of
Lagawe. These members are composed of elementary and high school students,
cultural advocates, and retirees.
Restoration of Rice Terraces
Imperative to the safeguarding of ICH is the restoration of rice terraces that involves
forest management and natural resources management. The practice of some rituals
in Ifugao is tied with the traditional farming practices. According to the SITMo CEO
and the Tourism Officer, this is a challenge since the Department of Agriculture
introduced modern agricultural techniques and new rice cultivars that are dependenton pesticides and fertilizers. Once farmers engage in the usage of new rice cultivars
and modern agricultural techniques, rituals associated with agriculture will be nolonger performed. As a rule of thumb, only traditional rice varieties are allowed to be
used for rice rituals.
The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer also raised that theagricultural rituals are threatened since most of the farmers shifted to cash crops tobe more financially stable. With this shift, some farmers who used to plant rice opt
not to plant the said species anymore since cash crops generate more income.
According to the IPMRs, there was also water scarcity resulting from the conversion of
the rice terraces into gardens and residential areas. Only a few of those who havewater sources can perform traditional farming practices.

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EXPERIENCES FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONTo address these concerns, the local government of Kiangan subsidized farmers who
perform traditional farming practices, and the Office of Municipal Tourism willorganize a harvest festival that is similar to the Punnuk festival to revitalize andpromote the restoration of the rice terraces of Kiangan. The festivals are dependent
on government funds nowadays.
School of Living Traditions (SLT)
Dulnuan (2014) emphasized that an effective tool worth replicating is the School of
Living Traditions (SLT), whereby those interested are taught the art of Hudhudchanting, the knowledge and art of gong beating, the proper ways of the Ifugao
dance, proper use of attire, and the other performing arts that children and adults
alike had forgotten. The formal educational sector has gone further and started to
introduce indigenous knowledge and systems into their curriculum. The SLT wasorganized through the effort of the NCCA.
As per the interview with the representative of the NCCA, through the SLT program,e-learning documentation and the publication of learning guides were carried out
despite the pandemic.
Strengthening the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representatives and Indigenous
Peoples Organizations
To promote and safeguard the ICH, there is a need to strengthen the Indigenous
Peoples Mandatory Representatives (IPMRs) and Indigenous Peoples Organizations(IPOs) since they are the bearers of knowledge to validate research studies being
conducted about the Ifugao culture. The IPMRs and IPOs were set up through thepromulgation of the NCIP Administrative Order No. 3, series of 2018, otherwise
known as the Revised National Guidelines for the Mandatory Representation of the
Indigenous Peoples in Local Legislative Councils and Policy Making Bodies.

CONCLUSION
Despite the existing efforts, there is still a need to continually invest in the promotion
and safeguarding of the ICH in the communities due to the threats posed by theoccurrence of hazards and disasters and the economic challenges that drive people toshift their traditional farming techniques to modern agriculture in the municipality of
Kiangan. There is also a need to help the Mumbaki pass on the knowledge of the
Ifugao culture since most of them are now elderly. All the rituals and practices are tied
to the Mumbaki.
Despite the presence of School of Living Traditions (SLT) and practice of the
Indigenous Education (IPEd), there are still some youth members who have limited
awareness of their cultural heritage due to religion and education in schools alongwith the absence of transmission of knowledge from their very own parents. Most
schools and colleges do not cover the Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices(IKSP). With this, it is crucial to sustain the funding support in education, especially the
SLT and IPEd in the municipality and across the country to reach more audiences.
Moreso, IKSP must be mainstreamed not just in elementary and primary education, it

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must reach universities since it is also critical to educate the youth who may become
our next leaders and educators and consequently, cultural ambassadors.
It is also necessary to continue the interventions of the NCCA on training workshops insafeguarding and mobilizing ICH in the context of disasters wherein the ICCs/IPs were
engaged in the discussion on safeguarding ICH in disasters and how their inventories
could be updated according to the current situation. According to their representative,
they already conducted the training at the three islands: Luzon, Visayas, andMindanao. However, they recommend continuous awareness. The research teamsupports this and recommends that the capacity-building must be sustained andshould be cascaded at the community level by capitalizing on the Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Fund (DRRMF). As per section 21 of the Republic Act
10121 or the Philippine DRRM Act of 2010, 70% of the DRRMF can be used fordisaster preparedness and this includes capacity-building activities.
Awareness can also be in the form of tourism education. Dulnuan (2014:30)
highlighted the need to have sustainable and balanced tourism to preserve the living
rice culture. She noted, ‘tourism education is what distinguishes the new forms of
tourism (ecotourism, heritage tourism, green tourism, etc.) from mass tourism. Bothguests and hosts interact and learn from each other. The host community and tourism
enterprise are also educated about the nature of tourism, especially its impact,
benefits, and damages, as well as the tools that could be used to mitigate damages
and harness benefits. Thus farmers and businessmen should know more aboutcarrying capacities, ecological footprints, zoning, and other such tools that they could
employ in tourism management’.
It could be also a means for cultural appreciation, environmental enhancement,
biodiversity conservation, income generation, and empowerment of the community.
SITMo advocates for the preservation of the living rice culture since there would be
no tourism if the rice culture is gone (Dulnuan, 2014; SITMo, 2008). To preserve theliving rice culture, consideration must be given to all the practices, rituals, andprocesses that accompany and result in the living rice culture, and this can bepracticed through the application of Tourism Education (Dulnuan, 2014).
As also suggested by the NCCA representative, it is also imperative to integrate the ICH
in the context of DRR plans, policies, and programs (PPPs), and these PPPs must be
implemented. The research team also believes the aforesaid and it must becomplemented with proper budget appropriation across different levels: national,
regional, provincial, city/municipal, and barangay/village levels.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The research team would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude to IRCI for making this research possible
through technical and funding support and to the following individuals who provided their insights
and expertise in the conduct of this research: Remedios D. Allaga (IPO of Brgy. Poblacion), Phyllis C.
Anudon (IPMR of Brgy. Poblacion), Jaime T. Bandao (IPMR of Brgy. Bolog), Julia T. Binyuca (Elder),Romeo C. Buyayo (IPMR of Brgy. Duit), Marcela G. Cortez (IPMR of Brgy. Pindongan), Mary T. Dimacje

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(IPO of Brgy. Poblacion), Maria B. Galeon (Farmer), Mercelita N. Gobway (IPO President of Brgy.
Tuplac), Marilyn B. Guimbatan (Elder), Roehl Guinid (IPO of Brgy. Ambabag), Albert G. Indunan (IPMRof Brgy. Tuplac), Francis Jerome Y. Licyayo (IPO of Brgy. Baguinge), Juan M. Malanta (IPMR of Brgy.
Baguinge), and Christopher Pedrosa (IPMR of Brgy. Hucab).
The team would also like to thank the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)–Cordillera
Administrative Region, NCIP–Tinoc Service Center, NCIP–Ifugao Provincial Office, the Municipal
Government of Kiangan, Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement, and Fides Anne J. Molina for theinvaluable support in the research coordination, planning, and process.

REFERENCES
Aguilar, C.H.M., Altoveros, N.C., Borromeo, M.H.F., and Koohafkan, P. (2020). Traditional rice-based
agroecosystem in Kiangan, Ifugao, Philippines: drivers of change, resilience, and potential
trajectories. Agroecology and Sustainable Food systems. DOI: 10.1080/21683565.2020.1813861
Ananayo, Z. (2009). Traditional Weather Indicators: Implications to Ifugao Agriculture and Daily Life.
Nurturing Indigenous Knowledge Experts among the younger generations, Phase 3. Retrieved on
December 18, 2023 from https://nikeprogramme.net/?p=91
Asia-Pacific Cultural Center for UNESCO (ACCU). (2002). Asia-Pacific database on intangible cultural
heritage (ICH): Promotion of the “Proclamation of masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritageof humanity.” Final report of the 2002 Regional Workshop for Cultural Personnel in Asia and thePacific, ACCU: Tokyo, Japan, 2002. Retrieved on October 1, 2013 from http://www.accu.or.jp/ich/
en/pdf/2002_ Tokyo.pdf
Batin, J.J. (2014). Hudhud of Dinulawan and Bugan at Gonhadan (oral literature of Ifugao culture).
JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research:17-35. http://dx.doi.org/10.7719/jpair.v16i1.269
Blench, R. and Campos, F. (2010). Recording Oral Literature in a Literate Society: A case study from
northern Philippines. In: I. Gunn and M. Turin (eds), Language Documentation and Description.
London: SOAS, 49-65.
Camacho, L.D., Gevaña D.T., Carandang A.P. and Camacho, S.C. (2016). Indigenous knowledge andpractices for the sustainable management of Ifugao forests in Cordillera, Philippines. International
Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management (12)1-2:5-13. DOI:
10.1080/21513732.2015.1124453
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). (2014). Muyung: a sustainable traditional
indigenous forest resource management systems and practices of the indigenous peoples ofKiangan, Province of Ifugao. A project report. Philippines: DENR. p. 47.
Dizon, J.T., Calderon, M. M., Asa, J.U., Andrada, R. II, and Salvador, M.G. (2012). Youth’s perceptions ofand attitudes towards the Ifugao rice terraces. Journal of Environmental Science and Management15(1):52-58. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7718/ijec.v10i1.772
Dulawan, L. (1989). Baki. Journal of northern Luzon 15(1-2): xvii,116.
Dulnuan, E. D. (2014). The Ifugao Rice Terraces Tourism: Status, Problems, and Concerns. IAMURE
International Journal of Ecology and Conservation 10:19-31.
Fao-Gef. (2014). Conservation and sustainable management of globally important agricultural heritage
systems (GIAHS). Pilot Country: Philippines. Terminal Report.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2017). Globally important agricultural heritage systems:
Designated sites around the world. Accessed January 10, 2023. http://www.fao.org/giahs/
giaharoundtheworld/designated-sites.
Herath, S., Soriano, M., Diwa, J., and Bucton, B. (2015). Surface and groundwater flow response to
climatic change in the Ifugao rice terraces. Rice Terrace Farming Systems Working Paper Series
Number 06. Tokyo, Japan: United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of
Sustainability.
Lambrecht, F. (1957). The Missionary as Anthropologist: Religious Belief among the Ifugao. Philippine
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Manuta, J. B. (1993). Tenurial arrangements and forest resource management in Haliap, Kiangan,
Ifugao, Northern Philippines. Fourth Annual International Association for the study of Common
Property (IASCP) Conference, Manila, Philippines, 16-20 June 1993.
Moore, J. G. (2015). Consequences of the introduction of commercial cultivars on Ifugao rice terraces
world heritage site, Leiden (unpublished MA thesis Leiden University).
Peralta, J.T. (2008). The Philippines: on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage. Terminal Report on
the Safeguarding and Transmission of the Hudhud Chants of the Ifugao. Manila: National
Commission of Culture and Arts.
Republic Act No. 8371. (1997). An Act to recognize, protect and promote the rights of indigenous
cultural communities/indigenous people, creating a national commission of indigenous people,
establishing implementing mechanisms, appropriating funds therefor, and for other purposes.
Congress of the Philippines (Tenth Congress); 1997 Oct 29; Manila.
Royeca, J.E. and Molina, F.G.J. (2018). Accounts of Ifugao rituals in the Municipality of Asipulo, Ifugao,
Diliman (unpublished paper University of the Philippines Diliman).
Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement (SITMo). (2008). IMPACT: The Effects of Tourism on Culture andthe Environment in Asia and the Pacific: Sustainable Tourism and the Preservation of the Ifugao
Rice Terraces, Philippines World Heritage Site. Bangkok.
Tuguinay, A.D. (2009). Old Ifugao Traditions- BOGWA (Bone cleansing ritual). Accessed March 5, 2023.
http://ifugaocustoms.blogspot.com/2013/02/old-ifugao-traditions-bogwa-bone.html
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2008). Impacts: the effects
of tourism on culture and the environment in Asia and the Pacific: sustainable tourism and thepreservation of the World Heritage sites of Ifugao Rice Terraces, Philippines; Bangkok.
United Nations Development Programme Philippines (UNDP). (2010). Indigenous peoples in thePhilippines. UNDP Philippines [Internet]. [cited 2014 Sep 1]. Available from: http://www.undp.org/
content/philippines/en/home/library/democratic_governance/FastFacts-IPs.html.

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INTRODUCING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE DISASTERRISK MANAGEMENT CENTER, JAPANTomomi Goto 1,2

INTRODUCTION
This report introduces the initiatives that the Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk
Management Center, Japan is conducting to safeguard intangible cultural heritage fromnatural disasters, with an aim to clarify the tasks that are necessary to nurture theability of people to hold traditional rituals, festivals, and events, and to maintain anddevelop inherited craftmanship in areas that suffer from natural disasters, toovercome the effects of damage, resume the traditions, and withstand futuredisasters.
In Japan, historical and cultural artifacts existing in the country are protected byfederal legislation called the ‘Act on Protection of Cultural Properties’, and byprefectural and municipal ordinances. Intangible cultural artifacts are also positioned
in the given domestic systems and have been protected by various measures. These
intangible cultural properties are called ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ (ICH) under theConvention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO.
ICH consists mainly of human activities, and therefore, different types of tactics fromthose for tangible heritage protection are needed to enable these measures to cover
the whole range of ICH. The same applies to disaster prevention and responses for
ICH. However, the necessary tasks for safeguarding ICH against disasters had not been
sufficiently organized or standardized in Japan, while the particularities and difficulty of
their safeguarding have been pointed out.
The Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management Center, Japan (‘the Center’) was
founded under the Secretariat of the Independent Administrative Institution, theNational Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH) in October 2020 to protect all historicaland cultural artifacts in Japan from any natural disasters, including ICH. Therefore, theCenter has been developing measures to effectively prevent and mitigate damage to
ICH caused by natural disasters since its foundation.
In 2021, the Center assembled ICH experts in Japan, set occasions to discuss disasterprevention for ICH, and reported the outcomes to the ICH communities, relatedparties, and researchers at a domestic symposium. The Center is also working to
1
2

Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management Center
Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties

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present methods to prepare for probable disasters through investigations on
traditional rituals, festivals, events, and craftmanship damaged by recent natural
disasters. This report summarizes the progress of the Center’s initiatives.

IDENTIFICATION OF CHALLENGES
Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) and Post-Disaster Recovery
The Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, occurred mainly in the Tohoku
region of Japan. Several cases were reported in which local communities in damaged
areas started to take various actions to resume local rituals, festivals, events, andperforming arts during stages in which lifeline utilities and/or usual living were not yet
fully recovered. The attempted resumption of such ICH was reported as early as June
2011, around three months after the earthquake, at the timing of Buddhist memorialservices for consolation of the dead in some areas (Imaishi, 2017) (Figure 1).
Traditional rituals, festivals, and events inherited in many areas all over Japan havethree typical characteristics as follows: 1) they are held by communities and organizedby local residents, 2) they have been passed down through generations, and 3) theycreate local unique rhythms as special non-ordinary days in ordinary life. For people
who were forced into a state of emergency by the earthquake, the resumption of thefestivals and events that they have inherited through generations is considered as ameans to regain their ordinary life and community connections once lost in thedisaster.
Based on studies of these cases after the Great East Japan Earthquake, a viewpointthat cultural events such as these local rituals, festivals, and events nurtured overaccumulated time can contribute to the regional recovery from the disaster and, notonly to recovery of ICH, has been shared. In the given context, the next challenge
pertains to how the ICH can gain enough resilience to survive through the next
natural disasters before they occur. If damage to ICH caused by natural disasters canbe prevented or mitigated, the ICH can be resumed smoothly after a disaster, and cancontribute to local recovery at an earlier stage.

Figure 1
Mikoshi, a portable shrine being
carried through an area in whichhigher ground development wasunderway during reconstruction
after the Great East Japan
Earthquake.
(Photo: Hiromichi Kubota)

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Difficulties in Preventing Effects of Disasters on ICH
Effective measures to prevent damage to ICH have been discussed on various
occasions, but their practical and actual examinations had not been fully conducted,
as mentioned earlier. The characteristic that ICH constitutes heritage borne by people
has bottlenecked solutions to the challenges.
According to the bearers of ICH damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake, theappearance of damage varied among its regions and bearers. Despite similarities inthe events themselves, different communities understood the damage differently andtheir paths to resume their events were different.
For example, while some communities could not resume their festivals because thenecessary tools for the festivals were swept away by the tsunami, other communities
managed to resume theirs using alternative tools. Some ICH could not be recovered tothe original status because the coastal area where its performance had been held wasseverely damaged by the tsunami, even after the performers themselves were once
again able to perform.
The communities that support ICH and regional conditions in which ICH is inherited
determine what is considered as ‘damage’. In addition, as the responses to thedamage are left to the bearers’ judgment, the situation of ICH after disaster and themeans of resumption and reconstruction of ICH vary.
Moreover, ICH is hugely affected by big changes in people’s lives because it isinherited along with local life. Therefore, impacts on ICH after disasters can appear
over a longer time span than expected. Some ICH could neither resume nor continue
after the earthquake because a large part of the population exited the area andsubstantial industrial changes progressed in the damaged areas.

DISASTER PREVENTION FOR ICH
Hazard Risk and its Visualization
Natural events that trigger disasters are not the only factors that determine theresulting damage. Vulnerabilities in the societies hit by disasters also constituteimportant factors (Tatsuki, 2016). The potential impact of damage by disaster isusually calculated by multiplying the natural hazard (external factor) by thevulnerability of society (internal factor) (Figure 2). Damage to ICH can further differ forvarious items and status according to the type of heritage (Figure 3). This is whydamage can appear very differently depending on the actual situation of therespective type of heritage. By considering both natural disaster risks and the situationof each type of ICH, crisis that may be faced by ICH at the occurrence of disaster canbe estimated in advance.

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Figure 2

How we view disasters

Figure 3

Damage inflicted on ICH

In the given situation, how should we classify the situations of ICH and prepare for therisks? It appears mandatory to first organize the factors that comprise ICH. To
understand this, we may consider the example of ‘Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals’3
and look further into details.
In the case of ‘Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals’, the first factor to consider is theengagement of various related parties. Ujiko communities (people who worship thefestival patron shrines) are the central party that conducts the events. In addition,
Shintō priests who conduct rituals, and even spectators are important supporters
although the involvement is rather peripheral. Spectators can motivate the event
bearers to carry on the festivals even though the spectators neither perform thefestival rites nor are the main subjects.
To conduct the events, tools, not only the main constructs such as Yama, Hoko, andYatai floats, but also others such as mikoshi (portable shrines), ritual utensils, offerings
put on the alters, and costumes are indispensable. In addition, places including eventrelated facilities and spaces in which the rituals are conducted, such as shrines andthe streets over which the Yama, Hoko and Yatai are pulled around, are also among
the basic factors constituting events.
The other basic factor to consider is the ‘occasion’. This factor includes not only
occasions such as the day of an event but also occasions for preparation, practice,cleanup after the event, and discussion. In the first place festivals cannot be
conducted unless their bearers agree to conduct them during the current year andprepare for them. Once a festival is over, the bearers continue to hold discussions andbegin to arrange for the next year’s festivals. This series of occasions enable festivals
to be inherited.
3

110‘Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan’ is listed as World Intangible Cultural Heritage. In 2016,
its inscription on the Representative List was decided at the 11th session of the Intergovernmental
Committee under the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of
UNESCO. These float festival events are ritual events practiced as prayers for peace and protection
from natural disasters for the local societies by holding a procession of the constructs ‘Yama,
Hoko, Yatai’.

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Figure 4
Estimating disaster risk

‘Occasions’ do not only determine the way current festivals and performing arts areheld. Through these occasions, members share their experiences and time, and passtheir knowledge of the events on to other members of the next generation. Thisshows that these occasions are indispensable factors to continue with the passage offestivals and performing arts to future generations. The efforts to contain the recent
COVID-19 pandemic had significant impact on ICH with the loss of these ‘occasions’considered to have been the largest. People’s efforts to avoid crowds to prevent
infections deprived bearers of ICH of these occasions and forced traditions into crisis.
This impact continues even now.
As explained above, the factors comprising ICH can be organized into four types:
people (bearers), tools, places, and occasions (Figure 4). Until recently, the threefactors besides people were often considered as sub-factors for each type of heritage
because the characteristic of ICH as ‘intangible (people’s activities)’ had been overly
stressed.
However, ICH cannot always be resumed when only the activities of the people
involved can be assured. For example, some bearers have said, ‘we cannot resume theevent without costumes’, ‘we cannot resume it because we lost our shrine’, and ‘wecannot even think about resuming it because there are no occasions on which toperform it’. ICH is based on the above four factors in complex and interconnected
ways. This fact diversifies impacts on damaged ICH and the pathways to resumption as
its background.
For disaster prevention for ICH, it is required to specifically organize the factors
constituting each type of ICH and visualize risks for each factor. It is also important toclarify how each factor supports the inheritance of ICH, in other words, how bearers
understand and grasp each factor.
Responding to Expected Vulnerabilities
By working on the tasks identified in the previous section, risks of damage to ICH bynatural disasters can be specifically clarified to fit the actual situations. Through thework of organizing each factor, potential vulnerabilities that each factor may include
can be clarified; for example, potential effects of disaster risks on the locations of

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shrines or temples where rituals, festivals, and events are held, the venues where local
communities assemble, and the warehouses where tools are stored; impacts of loss ordamage to tools; and occasions on which the local communities bearing ICH cangather and discuss. Once these vulnerabilities are identified, solutions (disasterprevention methods) can be presented.
We need to be careful to understand that there are two types of vulnerabilities: thosewhich can be addressed and those which cannot. For example, when a warehouse fortools is estimated to be at very high risk of flood by rainfall, the most effective
solution is its relocation to a safer place to prevent damage. However, it can bedifficult to implement the best solution due to community situations and bearers’
feelings such as, ‘we have kept the tools there for a long time’, or ‘it will beinconvenient for practice if the tools are moved to another place’.
In the given situation, an alternative solution needs to be discussed, such as moving
tools to the second floor of the same warehouse without its relocation. If it is difficult
to even implement the alternative solution, it would be necessary to discuss how to
accept the damage that might occur, and how to reconstruct any damaged tools after
the event of a disaster.
In many cases it is effective to handle the hardware side to prevent damage due todisaster, such as facility relocation or renovation. However, it can be difficult to do so
within the single framework of the existing cultural property protection system. For
example, when a shrine at which a ritual, festival, or event takes place is located in alandslide hazard zone4, the most effective countermeasure is to relocate the shrine
itself. However, as the location of such a facility is deeply tied to the local history, it is
not easily relocated. Obviously it is not realistic to change the place for offerings
either, considering event preservation. In that situation civil work can be done in thearea to reduce landslide risks. Even so, it is necessary to work in alignment with wider
initiatives for general disaster prevention, not only within the cultural property
protection system.
The important point here is, not to seek responses to all vulnerabilities, but for
bearers and stakeholders after visualizing risks inherent in the ICH to discuss
thoroughly and organize what can and cannot be eventually responded to, what canand cannot be immediately responded to, and what should be prioritized. Throughthis series of tasks, risks to be accepted can be visualized and possible responses after
disaster can be evaluated substantially.
Roadmap to Resumption
After organizing pre-disaster measures, responses after disasters can be organizedsequentially as a flow. The tasks needed to resume ICH after a disaster are shown in
Figure 5.
4112Landslide Hazard Zones and Extreme Hazard Zones are the zones specified as having landslide risks
by Prefectural Municipal Governors based on the Act on Sediment Disaster Countermeasures for
Sediment Disaster Prone Areas.

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Figure 5
Disaster response flow

The first tasks necessary just after disaster occurrence are to ascertain the damage
status and share the information among related parties. Confirmation of the safety ofbearers and stakeholders and information on the damage status of tools and facilities
are needed. It is also important to share the information among related parties.
Correspondence after disasters can be smoothly conducted if the means of confirming
people’s safety, ascertaining the damage situation, and sharing the information are
discussed and decided beforehand.
The next step is to discuss when and how ICH will be resumed after the above
information is shared. Depending on damage status, ICH may be resumed in its
original form as before; however, if some damage occurred, it may be difficult toresume without any changes, whether the changes are made intentionally or not.
Many factors require consideration: whether alternative ways should be adapted forthe damaged aspects, and if so, what ways should be taken, and so on. Bearers andstakeholders need to understand the situation, and then to discuss and agree on aroadmap to enable resumption of the events.
The damage to be estimated here is not only the direct damage hitting ICH. As ICH isdeeply tied to the lives of local people, it highly relies on how the people live.
Therefore, psychological impacts, economic damage, and direct damage on lives thatthe bearers suffer from could lead to their decision not to resume the events or
festivals for the time being. Even in that case, the burdens incurred by resuming theevents in the future can be reduced if prospects can be shared among local
communities.
Cases in the Great East Japan Earthquake show the following tendency: whencommunities could make a connection with cooperators and supporters outside of
their areas at an earlier stage, they managed to resume the events at their preferredtiming. That is, if bearers could share their situation outside of their communities,
even during confusing situations just after disaster occurrence, they tended to be able
to connect to support. On the other hand, communities who could not share thedifficulties they were facing and could not raise their voices for support were left
behind and experienced a more difficult path to resumption of events.

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Therefore, one of the pre-disaster preparation measures to accept risks should be thatof connecting with people outside of the local communities, such as with
communities and associations of other bearers who inherit similar ICH, ICH bearers inthe same regions, municipal government organizations in charge of cultural property
protection in their regions and museums, libraries, universities, and research institutes
handling historical matters. If stakeholders can report their damage status andprospects of resuming their events, appropriate timing and contents of support can be
more easily identified. Construction of such networks and collaboration structures is
one of the countermeasures that bearers and other stakeholders can prepare for inadvance of disaster occurrence.
The last step is to achieve the ultimate goal of resuming events and performing themin the same way as before or in alternative ways. To continue events, not justtemporarily resume them, again continuous discussion and effort among local
communities are mandatory. Furthermore, if the stakeholders and bearers can discusscountermeasures to prepare for future disasters, they can overcome damage withmore resilience and smaller burdens when future disasters happen.

DISASTER CASE STUDY OF TOKAKUJI NO MATSUE
Overview of the Disaster-Affected Event and Investigation Background
The tasks needed to effectively prevent the impacts of natural disasters on ICH,
concluded by discussions in the Center, were described above. Here, a case study of
one of our various disaster damage investigation outcomes is presented, that of
Tokakuji no Matsue, a disaster-affected event that the Center is working on.
Tokakuji no Matsue is a traditional folk event passed down in the Tokakuji area of
Kanda Town, Fukuoka Prefecture, located in the northern part of Kyūshu (Figure 6).
The residents in the Tokakuji area are said to be descendants of Shugenja(practitioners of Shugendō, folk religious practices combining Shintō and Buddhism),
who practiced around that area. Tokakuji no Matsue is conducted every year in early
April by the residents to pray for good harvests and safety of the surrounding areas. A
12–meter pillar is erected at a shrine field located in the middle of a small hill, andthe residents present performing arts to pray for good harvest around the pillar.
As the highlight of the event, a representative elected from the residents climbs thepillar, reads kiganbun (optative sentences), and performs heikiri to cut nusa (papermade streamers used for Shintō prayers) carried on his back with a sword (Figure 7).
The heikiri is a very important part of the event for the residents.
Heavy rain in August 2021 caused landslides in the area. The precise location where
Tokakuji no Matsue is held was buried in the landslide sediments. This event wascanceled in 2022 because the damage was too severe to easily reconstruct the area
and the COVID-19 pandemic was widespread. The Center investigated the damage
from February 2022 to April 2023 in response to information shared by the Board of
Education of Kanda Town. The Center regularly checked the damage andreconstruction status on-site and interviewed the residents (bearers of the event) and114

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Figure 6
Tokakuji no Matsue(Photo: Kanda town board ofeducation)

Figure 7
Heikiri(Photo: Kanda town board ofeducation)

administrative officers who supported them.
From Disaster Occurrence to Resumption of the Event
A linear precipitation zone born in mid-August 2021 brought heavy rain in the regions
around the Tokakuji area. Figure 8 shows the rainfall data of August 2021 gathered at
the observing station in Yukuhashi City, next to Kanda Town, which shows a large spikeof precipitation around the Tokakuji area between August 11 and 15.
Disaster occurrence by excessive rainfall was forecasted by Kanda Town at the time ofthe start of the rain, and 2,107 households, total of 4,641 residents, were ordered toevacuate to the official evacuation center before the rain became heavier. This
excessive rainfall caused 45 cases of damage such as road flooding, flooding fromoverflowing rivers, and avalanches.
Figure 9 shows an example of the status just after the landslides occurred. Spectator
seats installed on slopes collapsed and the flat area of the precise location where theevent is normally performed was buried under a huge volume of sediment. As the

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Figure 8
Daily precipitation trend in
August 2021

Figure 9
The status in an area just after alandslide(Photo: Kanda town board ofeducation)

surrounding ground was loose due to the rain, other landslides could have happenedin the same area if heavy rain were to have occurred again.
Reconstruction efforts were started just after the disaster, and Figure 10 shows thestatus after removal of sediments and the progress of reconstruction as of June 2022.
Over half a year, vegetation sheets were set on the slopes and a series of
constructions was conducted to prevent further landslides. This effort, however, wasjudged to have led to limited outcome, due to slower plant growth than expected. The
construction methods were therefore changed during the reconstruction. For the newreconstruction planning, administrative officers referred to construction methods used
for tangible heritage such as mounds and castle ruins.
Figure 11 shows the status one day before the event in April 2023 afterreconstruction was completed. The pillar was erected at the same point as before thedisaster. The only difference was that the spectator stands were removed from theslopes. Stands were intentionally not reconstructed to prevent future landslides.

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Figure 10
Reconstruction status as of June
2022
(Photo: Kanda town board ofeducation)

Figure 11
Reconstruction status as of April
2023(Photo: Tomomi Goto)

The event that was held in 2023, the first time after the disaster, had a limited
number of spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and thus the removal of thestands did not impact the event. However, once a similar number of spectators as
before the pandemic returns, it will become difficult to accommodate all of them at
the given spot where the event is held. Thus, the bearers need to discuss how toaccommodate the spectators in the future.
Disaster Responses by the Event Bearers
Figure 12 shows an organized flow chart to visualize the responses by the bearers andadministrative officers who responded to the disaster, based on the flow shown in
Figure 5.
The bearers and administrative officers efficiently and effectively responded to thedisaster through prompt ascertainment of the damage situation and provision of firstaid, which is the initial goal. Within a few days after the disaster, the damage was
identified and emergency response was started to prevent secondary disasters, led by

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Figure 12
Disaster response for
Tokakuji no Matsue

administrative officers. Their responses at this stage were excellent. Damage to ICH isoften difficult to recognize and be promptly shared.
On the other hand, the sharing of the information among the bearers had issues.
Many people of the younger generations live outside of the Tokakuji area, whereaging of the population combined with a diminishing number of children is inprogress. These younger people play very important roles in the event. They return tothe area at the time of the event while they live in different places. Disaster damage
information was only shared with these younger bearers at much later stages after thedisaster. Therefore, some disagreements and emotional conflict among the bearers
were observed at the early stages.
For the interim goal, stable progress was made to resume the event. Administrative
officers continuously updated the basic information related to the event, shared itwith officers of the prefectural and national government, and asked for their advice
about appropriate responses. Based on the directions of the government institutions,the administrators discussed the targeted measures to resume the event with thebearers and set a task plan targeting a resumption of the event two years later.
Just after the disaster, the bearers and stakeholders discussed the alternative ways toresume the event; however, they concluded that it would be necessary to conduct theevent in the original way to motivate the bearers to take initiative. Then they decided
to target resumption of the event both at the original place and in the original way. If
there had been some significant disagreement or conflict at that stage, the event
might have been resumed later. Therefore, even though there were some challenges
and small changes involved, the tasks required to resume progressed steadily and thebearers managed to resume the event in 2023 as planned.
Ability to Counteract Disaster
The final goal of planning shown in Figure 5 was set as preparation for later disasters.
The next challenge for Tokakuji no Matsue, which has overcome the disaster, is tobecome more resilient to counteract future risks by preparing for future disasters. At

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the time of this writing, no movement to prepare for future disasters was seen.
Regions around the Tokakuji area are set as high-risk zones for landslides by theprefectural and national governments. The disaster occurred in the past waspredictable. Though the disaster responses were considered to have been made very
promptly and effectively, the damage itself could have been smaller and the event
could have resumed even more smoothly if the probable damage had been evaluatedand the countermeasures and disaster responses had been discussed beforehand.
Furthermore, the damage was limited to the particular spot where the event isconducted, while it could have hit the tools and bearers themselves if the landslides
had happened in different places. However, the interviews held in the Tokakuji area by
the Center revealed that many residents still underestimate risks and do notproactively take appropriate actions toward possible natural disaster events eventhough they know of existing risks within their residential area.
This disaster gave the bearers a good opportunity to recognize not only disaster risks
for their event but also potential risks underlying their own lives. If this opportunity
can lead to visualizing and sharing regional disaster risks, and also to forming acommon recognition and agreement on pre-disaster preparation and post-disaster
responses among the residents, the disaster risk management practice for ICH can be
developed into disaster risk management practice for the whole life of the residents.

CONCLUSIONICH is the manifestation of cultural traditions existing alongside local people’s lives.
The discussions so far have been made from a viewpoint considering local realities.
However, discussions from this stance are limited by various real bottlenecks.
Therefore, it is difficult to determine actual tasks needed as ways to protect ICH fromdisasters and to smoothly resume the events. It is considered that pathways toresume events can diverge due to various factors, including the residents’ opinions aswell as the actual situations.
However, through the Center’s initiatives, it appears that the disaster risk
management for ICH can be organized by converging various methods under one
methodology, including each area of diversity, even though it had been considered
impossible.
The mandatory aspect needed to make risk management, including the pre-disaster
preparations and post-disaster responses proposed in this report work effectively, isthe task of making bearers understand the value of their own ICH. Only when bearers
themselves can understand the real value and recognize its real meaning, ICH canhave enough resilience against disasters and policy can be constructed forreconstruction and recovery after the event of a disaster. We will further polish theproposed measures by evaluating the outcomes of the plan proposed in this report invarious areas.

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REFERENCESIMAISHI, M. (2017) ICH and Disaster Prevention – The Outreach of Its Charms and Power from theOutside, Intangible Cultural Heritage and Disaster Management – Risk Management andReconstruction Support, Independent Administrative Institute National Institutes for Cultural
Properties, Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, the Department of Intangible
Cultural Heritage, pp. 1–6.
TATSUKI, S. (2016) Sociology of Disaster and Reconstruction, Kizasu Shobo, pp. 12–13.

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NATURAL HAZARDS AND
THE SAFEGUARDING OF
INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
EXPERIENCES FROM THE
ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONREPORT OF THE RESEARCH ON ICH SAFEGUARDING AND
DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT IN THE ASIA-PACIFICREGION (FY 2020–2023)

International Research Centre for
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Paciﬁc Region (IRCI)International Research Centre for
Intangible Cultural Heritage
in the Asia-Paciﬁc Region (IRCI)