Peru Prepares to Protect Cultural Heritage from Potential El Niño Emergencies

The work forms part of UNESCO’s global Culture x El Niño campaign, which supports countries in preparing for the phenomenon’s possible effects on culture and heritage.

Peru's Ministry of Culture and UNESCO Peru are strengthening preparations to protect cultural heritage from potential emergencies associated with the 2026–2027 El Niño phenomenon. The initiative focuses on improving institutional coordination and giving technical teams practical tools for preparedness and response. Its activities combine training, field validation of a disaster assessment tool and guidance on identifying recovery needs.

The work forms part of UNESCO's global Culture x El Niño campaign, which supports countries in preparing for the phenomenon's possible effects on culture and heritage. The campaign promotes early identification of risks, stronger emergency mechanisms and protective measures that can be activated when needed. In Peru, these priorities are being translated into capacity building for institutions responsible for managing and safeguarding cultural heritage.

The programme brings together officials, professionals and technical teams from the Ministry of Culture, the Decentralized Directorates of Culture, municipalities and other relevant public institutions. Their involvement supports a coordinated approach across national and local responsibilities for heritage protection. Training and practical exercises are intended to improve how these institutions prepare for emergencies and gather information to guide their response.

Training connects disaster management with heritage protection

The programme scheduled training sessions for 7, 9 and 12 October, covering Peru's national disaster risk management framework and its application to cultural heritage. The sessions include tools for strengthening preparedness, alongside experiences and case studies involving risks associated with El Niño. This combination gives participants a basis for connecting disaster management procedures with the specific responsibilities of cultural institutions.

Field assessments support better emergency decisions

A post-disaster data collection tool is being adapted through a participatory process to produce more organised and useful information for decision-making. Field validation sessions were scheduled for 19 October in Piura, 21 October in Lambayeque and 23 October in La Libertad. These sessions form part of the process of adapting the tool for use by teams assessing the effects of emergencies on cultural heritage.

Specialised training on the adapted tool is scheduled for November to help technical teams use it in their work. An introduction to Post-Disaster Needs Assessment, known as PDNA, applied to the culture sector is planned for the week of 23–27 November. Together, these activities connect the collection of post-disaster information with the assessment of needs that follows an emergency.

Coordination and international funding underpin the programme

The activities are being developed jointly with the Ministry of Culture's El Niño Phenomenon Disaster Risk Management Commission for the Culture Sector. Coordination also involves the National Institute of Civil Defense, known as INDECI, and the National Center for Estimation, Prevention, and Reduction of Disaster Risk, known as CENEPRED. This collaboration supports stronger links between cultural heritage institutions and Peru's wider disaster risk management system.

The UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund supports the initiative, providing resources for the preparedness and capacity-building activities. Its donors include Andorra, Canada, Estonia, France, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, the Qatar Fund for Development, Serbia, Slovakia and the United Kingdom. The programme's central purpose is to strengthen the coordination and technical capacity needed to protect cultural heritage against potential El Niño emergencies.