AMAL in Heritage is a programme for managing disaster and conflict risks for cultural heritage through a combination of tools, training, planning, and community development. Through user-friendly mobile/web applications and a participatory design process with local partners, AMAL builds capacity for both heritage professionals and laypeople to respond to cultural crises proactively.

The first element of AMAL’s mobile application is Rapid Damage Assessment tools and related supplementary training materials. The information gathered through AMAL Rapid Damage Assessment helps to prioritize emergency response and identify cultural heritage assets that need further assessment. It can also Identify the type and nature of the required interventions based on the type and degree of damage.

Global Heritage Fund (GHF) launched AMAL in Heritage as an international initiative and partnership with the International Scientific Committee on Risk Preparedness of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS-ICORP), the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH), the International Centre for the Study and the Preservation of Cultural Property (ICCROM), and the Cultural Emergency Response (CER) programme at the Prince Claus Fund.

The objectives of AMAL in Heritage workshop are:

  • Introducing AMAL in Heritage and its mobile application for rapid damage assessment
  • App installation and training on AMAL’s application
  • Damage assessment exercise with AMAL’s application near the university campus
  • Feedback and discussion on the application by the workshop participants

What operating systems are supported?

AMAL mobile app works on any iOS device running 9.0+ version of iOS software.

AMAL Mobile App for Android works on any Android Device running Android 24. (Lollipop).

 

Speakers: 

Dr Bijan Rouhani is Director of AMAL in Heritage at Global Heritage Fund(GHF) and Vice President of the International Scientific Committee on Risk Preparedness of ICOMOS (ICOMOS-ICORP).

Since 2014, Bijan is also working as Project Specialist for Cultural Heritage Planning and Preservation with American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR)’s Cultural Heritage Initiative for Syria and northern Iraq, which is designed to document, protect, and preserve cultural heritage in this war-torn region.

Bijan is also Vice-chair of ICOMOS Working Group for Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Syria and Iraq, and has been involved in designing and implementing various training, monitoring and capacity building activities for the protection of built heritage and fighting against illicit trafficking of cultural properties in the Middle East.

He is ICOMOS’ representative on the board of International Committee of Blue Shield Board. He received his PhD in 2010 in Conservation of Architectural Heritage from La Sapienza, the University of Rome, Italy. His research was on International Principles for the Protection of Cultural Heritage during Armed Conflict. He works as a conservation architect and cultural heritage consultant. His field of interest is reducing risks to cultural heritage sites, especially in times of armed conflict and natural disasters.