Conserving Heritage in Southeast Asian Cities: Planning for Continuity and Change Workshop October 31 - November 14, 2009 Chiang Saen, Thailand

Project Objectives
From late 2004 to early 2006, the Getty Conservation Institute conducted an assessment of built heritage conservation education and training needs in mainland Southeast Asia: Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Lao PDR. Three areas of particular need were identified by the assessment: conservation and management of archaeological sites; integrated conservation and urban development; and conservation education in academic programs. These categories overlap, as do the audiences this initiative aims to serve. Therefore, the initiative has been conceived in multiple components to better respond to the multifaceted nature of conservation, and to the various approaches required to improve conservation practice. The objectives of the Southeast Asia Initiative are to:

• enhance professional capacity of regional heritage professionals through local on-site training workshops;
• inform decision makers about both the value of heritage and the means of protecting and promoting those values through experts meetings and symposia;
• advance built heritage conservation education through improved curricula, didactic materials, and pedagogy; and
• strengthen existing networks of heritage professionals through intra-regional training activities and meetings.

Project Summary
Southeast Asia is a vibrant and culturally diverse region, linked by geography, religion, politics, and history. However, Southeast Asia is often defined in different ways, according to who is defining it and for what reason. Composed of many nations, tribes, and cultures, the area has been home to some of Asia's most significant civilizations and empires. While all cultures continue to change, evidence of the region's historic accomplishments remains visible today in the architecture, sites, and traditions that are still visited, venerated, and practiced. In terms of visitation and resources, some of these sites receive enormous global attention, (e.g., Angkor, Pagan, Luang Prabang, Hoi An, Ayutthaya, and Borobodur)—yet these sites represent only a miniscule fraction of the tens of thousands of architectural and archaeological sites for which the region's heritage professionals are daily responsible.

Many of these places face increasing risks from intensifying cultural tourism, economic development, and the implications of unanticipated changes, which pose significant challenges for conservation professionals. Southeast Asian practitioners in built heritage conservation in the region confront myriad conservation challenges. The spectrum of concerns for the region's conservation professionals ranges from basic introductions to conservation theory and principles; conservation science and material analysis; risk assessment; site management including planning for long term maintenance, presentation, visitor management and development; material conservation; and policy and decision making that integrates the opinions and needs of the surrounding communities of a site.

The GCI is assisting these professionals to adapt to these changes as they seek to achieve the highest quality standards of practice. Several international and national organizations are also working in collaboration with local conservation practitioners to bring about similar ends. The GCI is partnering on a case-by-case basis with some of these organizations to meet commonly held objectives that relate to conservation education, training, and practice.

Last updated: November 2008