Community organization for the protection of cultural heritage in the aftermath of disasters

When disasters occur, they have the potential to cause great damage to infrastructure and property, including cultural heritage. This paper explores how and why communities may use traditional social structures, not previously related to disaster management, to intervene and take independent actions in the protection of cultural assets during emergencies. Through a case study in Mexico, the type of community organizations involved during an emergency phase is reviewed, emphasizing the emerging and informal groups. In that context, the thematic analysis of 17 semi-structured interviews conducted in this investigation revealed two factors that need to be considered to understand what has driven those groups to physically engage in the rescue activities: a) the pre-disaster relationship between institutions and the community, within the socio-political context; and b) the cultural significance of the places or objects that are perceived at risk. Additionally, this research demonstrates that the emergency actions for the protection of heritage assets taken by the community have an important role for local communities as resilience drivers by helping them to organize self-sufficiently and face the loss. Thus, cultural sites and objects become physical nodes around which people can improve risk awareness, find psychological relief and emerge as organized and more resilient groups. As a result, this research concludes that cultural heritage can and should stand in the centre of collective participation, as it enhances people's capacity to cope and reduce social vulnerability in disasters.