From PROCULTHER to PROCULTHER-4ALL: the UCPM initiative shaping a whole-of-society approach to cultural heritage protection
In recent years, cultural heritage protection has become an increasingly important component of European disaster risk management and civil protection. The Union Civil Protection Mechanism-UCPM supported this evolution by strengthening the protection of cultural heritage at risk through methodological development, capacity-building activities, and large-scale exercises.
Within this framework, PROCULTHER, the DG-ECHO funded project and its successive phases, have contributed to transforming cultural heritage protection from an emerging topic into an established component of the Mechanism. Between 2019 to date, the initiative has evolved from the development of a common Methodology to the validation of operational tools and knowledge-transfer activities, as well as the establishment of a European community of practice within the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network-UCPKN, and the institutional recognition of cultural heritage protection within the UCPM.
The publication of the EU Preparedness Union Strategy provided the basis for the next stage of this work and gave impetus to PROCULTHER-4ALL (April 2026 - March 2028). While previous projects have established a whole-of-government, multi-hazard and multi-stakeholder framework, this new phase aims to further strengthen the protection of cultural heritage through the adoption of a whole-of-society approach aligned with the EU Preparedness Union Strategy. Rather than developing new foundations, it will broaden participation and strengthen collaboration beyond institutional and academic actors, by engaging private-sector stakeholders, civil society organisations, volunteers and citizens.
The Consortium managing the PROCULTHER-4ALL project is made of 17 partners, all combining disaster risk management and cultural heritage expertise, and representing 8 UCPM countries: the Italian Civil Protection Department (Italy), as coordinator, the Ministry of Interior-Disaster and Emergency Management Authority - AFAD (Türkiye), the German Archaeological Institute - DAI (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 (FCSVM), the Warrant Officers School of the State Fire Service in Kraków - SA PSP Kraków (Poland), and Museums and Monuments of Portugal- MMP (Portugal). To further enhance the expertise made available for the project implementation, the following associated partners joined the Consortium: UNESCO, the Ministère de la Culture- MC-Fr and the Bouclier bleu de France - BS-FR (France), the Federal Agency for Technical Relief - THW (Germany), the Direçao General do Patrimonio Cultural - MC-PT (Portugal), the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations - IGSU (Romania), the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Regional Government of Castilla y León (Spain), CORILA and the Bursa Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency Management - Bursa-AFAD (Türkiye).
PROCULTHER-4ALL is structured around three main lines of action: consolidation and capacity-building of the PROCULTHER community, knowledge dissemination, and cross-fertilisation with other UCPM and EU-funded initiatives. At the same time, PROCULTHER-4ALL envisages a more ambitious dimension, aligned with the evolving EU policy framework. In particular, the project will support the shift towards a whole-of-society approach through:
- the development of guidelines for the inclusion of this approach in the protection of cultural heritage at risk, with a focus on intangible cultural heritage;
- the definition of a Whole-of-Society Action Plan;
- the implementation of targeted awareness-raising activities addressing a broader range of stakeholders.
The project will work to identify needs and capacities in this field capitalising on existing methodologies, training approaches, and operational tools, further integrating them into UCPM structures and activities, including training programmes and exercises such as the EU MODEX. Further actions include tailored mechanisms to engage citizens and the private sector, support to new Cultural Heritage Protection Modules, and enhanced knowledge-sharing through the Technical Bulletins.
Furthermore, the involvement of new partners in the managing Consortium will allow for the project contribution to the UNDRR “Making Cities Resilient 2030” (MCR2030) campaign. Interested cities will facilitate the implementation of pilot activities with a specific focus on cultural heritage to support the ability of local communities to understand and address risk scenarios thus strengthening their capacities to assess urban resilience.
Finally, the experiences documented under PROCULTHER-4ALL, particularly those related to strengthening stakeholder engagement and community participation, will directly inform future updates of the Methodology, supporting the integration of a whole-of-society approach into disaster risk management for cultural heritage.
To sustain this progress, PROCULTHER-4ALL continues to advance a UCPKN-based framework that ensures continuity, prevents fragmentation, and strengthens the cross-border dimension of the work carried out to date. In this context, Technical Bulletins and training activities remain essential instruments for knowledge management, supporting the documentation, exchange and dissemination of operational practices across the UCPM community.
As part of this effort, PROCULTHER-4ALL will soon launch a call for contributions for the next two issues of the Technical Bulletin, scheduled for publication in December 2026 and May 2027. Through this call, PROCULTHER-4ALL aims to further expand the knowledge base of the community, foster collaboration among stakeholders, and continue advancing the protection of cultural heritage at risk across borders. Contributions from private entities, professional associations, civil society organisations and community-based initiatives engaged in the protection of cultural heritage at risk will be particularly encouraged.
Disaster risk managers, cultural heritage professionals, researchers, academics, local, national and international stakeholders will be invited to propose case studies, lessons learned, innovative practices, and research contributions.