International Workshop on Space Technologies for World Heritage

Date：2016-09-23

From Space to Place: Application of Space Technologies in

Management and Conservation of World Heritage

09-28 October, 2012

I. BACKGROUND
Earth observation from space is being successfully used to monitor and evaluate the land cover changes over large areas of the planet. UNESCO, in partnership with some space agencies in the world, is assisting developing Member States by applying space technologies to assess the state of conservation of UNESCO-inscribed cultural and natural heritage sites. Recent developments in earth observation, including improved resolution, and a combination of satellite data with airborne and ground data, are enabling new applications for the assessment of heritage sites.

However，not all UNESCO Member States have the capacity to use and interpret satellite data in monitoring the state of conservation of their UNESCO-inscribed sites. Therefore, to make use of satellite imagery that is increasingly accessible, many Member States have strong demands of improving their capacities in understanding and interpreting the images for monitoring their heritage sites.

For this purpose, the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST) under the auspices of UNESCO is to organize the ‘1st International Workshop on Space Technologies for World Heritage’, which is sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in Beijing during 09–28 October, 2012. The theme of the Workshop is ‘From Space to Place: Application of Space Technologies in Management and Conservation of World Heritage’.

HIST, approved by the 35th General Conference of UNESCO in October 2009, was formally established in Beijing on 24 July, 2011. This is the first category 2 centre under the auspices of UNESCO applying space technologies to the monitoring and conservation of world cultural and natural heritage sites. It is hosted by the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a national research institution of China located in Beijing with the capacity of receiving and processing data acquired from satellites and remote sensing aircrafts, and applying the data to research work in various areas including the heritage sites.

II. DATE & PLACE
Date: 09-28 October, 2012
Place: Beijing, China

III.OBJECTIVE
The objective of the Workshop is to help build capacity of the policy-makers, site managers or researchers of cultural and natural heritage in some of the UNESCO member states in Asia on how to apply space technologies to the conservation and management of UNESCO properties in their lands. It is also considered as an event contributed to celebrating the 40th anniversary of World Heritage Convention.

IV. PARTICIPANTS
The policy makers, managers and researchers of world heritage sites of the developing member states of UNESCO in Asia lacking the capacity to use and interpret satellite data in monitoring the state of conservation of their UNESCO-inscribed sites are able to apply for participating in the Workshop. As the number is limited to 20 people from 10 different member states, only those who are qualified can be selected as formal participants.

V. PROCEDURES OF SELECTING WORKSHOP CANDIDATES
● Conditions: policy-makers, managers or researchers of UNESCO-inscribed world heritage sites of the UNESCO developing member states in Asia, with background of space technologies or GIS as an advantage; skills of fluent English communication required.
● Application:
(1) Applicants fill in the attached application form and submit it to Ms Huo Sijia, the contact of the Workshop, at huosijia@ceode.ac.cn or by fax +86-10-8217-8915. Application deadline is 31 July, 2012.
(2) The selection group will examine the applications and notify the applicants of the decisions before 31 August, 2012. Invitations will be sent to the selected applicants for visa formalities at the same time.

VI. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
HIST will provide the selected participants with round-trip international airfares between their home countries and Beijing (economy class), and the local expenses such as board and lodging, field tour, local transportation, etc. during the Workshop.

VII. LANGUAGE
The language of the Workshop is English. Knowing or speaking some Chinese will be an advantage.

VIII. COURSES
The Workshop will provide the following courses:
1. The World Heritage Convention and the General Status of World Heritage Sites;
2. The Current Status of the World Heritage Sites in Asia and Pacific and their Challenges;
3. The Distribution and Conservation of World Heritage Sites in China;
4. Climate Change and World Heritage Conservation;
5. Natural Disasters and World Heritage Conservation;
6. Space Technologies and Their Applications;
7. Application of Space Technologies on the Monitoring and Conservation of Heritage Sites;
8. Application of Space Technologies on Discovering and Detecting Heritage Sites;
9. Application of Space Technologies in Documenting Data of Heritage Sites;
10. Application of Space Technologies on the Management of World Heritage Sites;
11. Application of Space Technologies in Analyzing Current Status of World Heritage Sites;
12. Software Practice of Remote Sensing Image Processing;
14. Software Practice of Geographical Information System (GIS);
15. Study Tour to the World Heritage Sites in and around Beijing;
In addition to the above courses, the participants will be provided opportunities to interact with the worldly-known lecturers by introducing their own experiences in the management and conservation of world heritage sites. Furthermore, the participants will have an opportunity to participate free of charge in the ‘4th International Conference on Remote Sensing in Archaeology’ with the theme of ‘New Era of Earth Observation for Natural and Cultural Heritage’ to be held on 24-26 October, 2012. For detail, please consult the conference website: http://www.icrsa4.org

IX. LECTURERS
The lecturers will be composed of well-known experts on space technologies for heritage from both China and the world.

X. ACCOMMODATION
The participants will be accommodated in Beijing Wuke Hotel at: No.8, 3rd South Street, Zhongguancun, Haidian District, Beijing, China with 2 persons sharing one standard room of two beds. Three meals will be served in the restaurant of the same hotel.
To know more about the hotel, please consult: http://www.wukebinguan.com/En

NOTE
As is customary, all the participants are advised to take adequate insurance towards health, medical, accident or any other health related incidences/cases during their stay in China, HIST shall not be responsible for such expenses.

For more information please contact:
Ms. Huo Sijia
E-Mail: huosijia@ceode.ac.cn
Tel: +86-10-82178911
Fax: +86-10-82178915

Download:

Application form.rar