PROCULTHER-4ALL
The PROCULTHER-4ALL-Protecting Cultural Heritage from the Consequences of Disasters for All project is the fourth phase of the PROCULTHER initiative, dedicated to protecting cultural heritage from natural and human-induced hazards within the framework of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism.
Building on the results achieved through previous projects, PROCULTHER-4ALL provides tools to apply the “Preparedness Union Strategy” to the safeguarding of cultural heritage through a whole-of-society approach, involving society as a whole and promoting inclusive participation in order to make European communities more resilient.
The project, which started in April 2026 and will run until March 2028, is implemented with co-financing from DG ECHO - the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations.
Since 2019, the PROCULTHER initiatives have progressively strengthened the protection of cultural heritage within the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) through the development of a Methodology recognised at European level. Furthermore, activities aimed at promoting and disseminating operational tools agreed by the disaster risk management and cultural heritage sectors have contributed to fostering the institutional recognition of cultural heritage safeguarding within the field of civil protection.
The new phase, launched by PROCULTHER-4ALL, is structured around three main lines of action:
- consolidating and expanding the capacities of the PROCULTHER community;
- disseminating knowledge;
- exchanging experiences with other initiatives funded by the European Union.
In particular, the project aims to foster the transition towards a whole-of-society approach through the development of dedicated guidelines for the protection of cultural heritage at risk, with a particular focus on intangible cultural heritage. It will also envisages the development of an Action Plan and the implementation of specific awareness-raising activities targeting a broader range of stakeholders.
Throughout the project, efforts will therefore focus on identifying needs and capacities in this field, while building on existing methodologies, training approaches and operational tools and further integrating them into the structures and activities of the Mechanism, including training programmes and exercises such as EU MODEX.
Other actions envisaged under the initiative include the development of strategies to foster the engagement of citizens and the private sector; support for the establishment of Cultural Heritage Protection Modules, i.e., specialised teams made available by UCPM Participating States; and enhanced knowledge sharing through the Technical Bulletins, publications released within the framework of PROCULTHER that collect interdisciplinary good practices on the protection of cultural heritage at risk.
The experiences documented throughout PROCULTHER-4ALL, particularly those relating to strengthening stakeholder engagement and community participation, will directly contribute to future updates of the Methodology, supporting the integration of an approach based on the involvement of society as a whole in the management of disaster risks affecting cultural heritage.
PROCULTHER-4ALL promotes the reinforcement of a community dedicated to the protection of cultural heritage in emergency within the framework of the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network (UCPKN), by pursuing the following objectives:
- strengthening cooperation between the States Participating in the Mechanism and the stakeholders involved in preparedness for and response to emergencies affecting cultural heritage;
- integrating a whole-of-society model involving citizens, local communities, public authorities, the private sector, volunteers and academia;
- raising risk awareness and enhancing public preparedness through the development of tools for information campaigns, training and the direct engagement of communities;
- developing training modules and operational standards for experts and volunteers to ensure an effective response;
- integrating cultural heritage protection into climate adaptation strategies at national and local levels.
The Italian Civil Protection Department, as coordinator of the consortium managing the project, and works in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior-Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (Türkiye), German Archaeological Institute (Germany), the Ministère de l’Intérieur - Direction Générale de la Sécurité Civile et de la Gestion des Crises (France), the Fondazione Hallgarten - Franchetti Centro Studi Villa Montesca (Italy), Museums and Monuments of Portugal (Portugal), the Warrant Officers School of the State Fire Service in Kraków (Poland).
The consortium is supported by the following associated partners: Bursa Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency Management (Türkiye) Bouclier bleu de France (France) Consorzio per il Coordinamento delle Ricerche Inerenti al Sistema Lagunare di Venezia CORILA (Italy), Direção-Geral do Patrimonio Cultural (Portugal), General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (Romania), Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Regional Government of Castilla y León (Spain), Ministère de la Culture and Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (France), Federal Agency for Technical Relief (Germany), United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).