adminindaba, which will run for the next seven days at Great Zimbabwe, comes in the wake of increasing threats of fire around the monument owing to the continued encroaching of human settlements.
Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, Ms Pamela MacQuilkan, a programme officer with the African World Heritage Fund based in South Africa, said it was crucial for those involved in the preservation of cultural and natural heritage to be equipped with risk preparedness skills.
Ms MacQuillan said heritage sites such as the Great Zimbabwe were increasingly being exposed to risk, especially that of fire.
“The main purpose of this conference is to make sure that all those involved in the preservation of both cultural and natural heritage are well versed in the issues of risk preparedness to make sure that heritage in any country does not get destroyed owing to physical or man made disasters,” she said.
“Of late, both cultural and natural heritage sites throughout the world have been under continued threats, hence we saw it fit to convene a conference where we will impart skills on each other to preserve heritage in our respective countries.”
Programme coordinator of the Centre for Heritage Development in Africa based in Mombasa Kenya Mr Peter Okwaro said there was need to preserve cultural and natural heritage.
“It is very important, especially for African states to preserve their cultural and natural heritage because besides being a source of identity for any people, heritage is also a major source of tourism on which many African countries rely on to attain revenue,’’ he said.
The Great Zimbabwe monument has its own risk preparedness plan, but of late the facility has been at the mercy of growing population pressure around.
The monument was declared a World Heritage Site in 1986 and is reputable for its balancing stone walls that are joined together without the use of mortar.
Online Reporter