UNESCO and ICHCAP support Pacific countries in integrating living heritage into education and disaster preparedness

Addressing climate challenges through culture and education

Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu are among the Pacific countries most exposed to natural hazards, facing recurring climate-related and geophysical risks that threaten not only lives and infrastructure, but also the transmission and viability of living heritage. At the same time, the potential of intangible cultural heritage as a resource for education and resilience has remained largely underutilized in formal learning environments.

The joint UNESCO–ICHCAP project “Integration and Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Disaster Risk Reduction in Educational Approaches in the Pacific” was designed to respond to these challenges. The initiative aimed to bridge cultural safeguarding with education and disaster risk reduction frameworks, placing traditional knowledge and community practices at the centre of resilience-building.

Building on UNESCO’s existing regional resources, the project adapted and contextualized training materials developed for the Asia-Pacific region, including the animated series “Teaching and Learning with Intangible Cultural Heritage in Asia and the Pacific” and the online course “Bringing Living Heritage to the Classroom in Asia-Pacific” Six episodes of the training materials were translated into Fijian, Tongan and Bislama, ensuring accessibility for educators and learners while reflecting the linguistic diversity of Pacific communities. A new episode titled “Why can living heritage reduce risk in the face of natural hazards?” was also developed to address the intersection between intangible cultural heritage and disaster risk reduction in the Pacific context.

Drawing on UNESCO’s established capacity-building tools such as “Basics in Disaster Risk Reduction and Intangible Cultural Heritage” and guidance on integrating DRR into community-based inventorying, these resources provided practical approaches for educators to link cultural practices with preparedness and response strategies across the region. The content was informed by extensive community consultations conducted under parallel initiatives on safeguarding living heritage in emergencies, ensuring coherence and complementarity across UNESCO’s programmes in the Pacific.

Empowering educators and young heritage custodians

Capacity-building efforts focused on equipping educators and heritage practitioners with the tools needed to bring living heritage into classrooms. Training of Trainers workshops supported teachers in Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu to integrate intangible cultural heritage into their teaching methodologies through participatory and student-centred approaches. The training encouraged educators to draw on local traditions, knowledge systems and artistic practices as dynamic learning resources that strengthen cultural identity while fostering awareness of disaster risks.

Pilot activities were subsequently implemented in three schools — Ratu Sukuna Memorial School in Fiji, Lycée Louis Saint Antoine de Bougainville in Vanuatu, and Kanokupolu Primary School in Tonga — engaging more than sixty students in activities that connected classroom learning with their communities’ cultural practices. Students explored how oral traditions, craftsmanship, performance arts and traditional ecological knowledge contribute to preparedness, response and recovery in times of crisis, while also reflecting on their own lived experiences.

Advancing regional intersectoral collaboration across culture, science and education
Following the pilot phase, educators, cultural institutions and disaster risk management actors convened in joint reflection workshops to review lessons learned and propose adjustments to the training materials and delivery methods. Participating schools underscored the importance of locally adapted programmes that connect formal education with community-based knowledge transmission, while highlighting the value of multimedia tools for engaging young audiences.

In Fiji, educators emphasised the need for tailored programmes that reflect local contexts. In Vanuatu, the project supported national discussions on strengthening cultural heritage education within the formal curriculum. In Tonga, schools emphasised the effectiveness of practitioner-led demonstrations and community visits in fostering intergenerational learning.
Through this collaboration, UNESCO and ICHCAP have demonstrated how living heritage can play a transformative role in strengthening education systems and supporting climate resilience in Pacific Small Island Developing States. By integrating cultural knowledge into teaching practices and fostering cooperation between education, culture and disaster management sectors, the initiative reinforces the role of communities and youth as active custodians of heritage.

The project reflects a shared commitment to safeguarding intangible cultural heritage while empowering future generations to respond to increasing environmental challenges. As UNESCO and its partners continue to build on these achievements, integrated approaches that place culture, education and community knowledge at the heart of resilience will remain essential to sustainable development in the Pacific.