UNESCO

© UNESCO/Christian Manhart
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The Nepal earthquake
Natural disasters also took a heavy toll this
year, with UNESCO working to assess the
impact of April’s devastating earthquake in
Nepal on that country’s cultural heritage. The
Kathmandu Valley (a World Heritage area) is
famous for its seven groups of monuments
and buildings, which represent a broad
range of historical and artistic achievements.
Monuments and sites within the area were
heavily affected, as were several others
nearby cultural and natural heritage sites.
Some were almost fully destroyed. Irina
Bokova said, ‘As we are receiving more
information from the ground, I am deeply
aggrieved by the magnitude of human loss
caused by the earthquake in Nepal. I am
also shocked by its devastating impact on
the unique cultural heritage in the country.‘
UNESCO’s response to the disaster was
carried out in close collaboration with
the Government of Nepal and with the
support of various donors and agencies.
These efforts included immediate and urgent
mitigation measures related to cultural
heritage, such as sifting and securing rubbles
of archaeological value, the protection of
remains, and the compilation inventories
and condition reports for damaged property
UNESCO and the Government of Nepal immediately
collaborated to respond to the devastating impact
of April’s earthquake on the monuments of
the Kathmandu Valley (a World Heritage area).
The monuments were a major source of income and
economic growth through tourism, as well as places
of worship. In this photo, shot by Christian Manhart,
Director of the UNESCO Office in Kathmandu, locals
attempt to preserve the monuments’ treasures.
in order to establish baseline information
for each site. The revitalisation of traditional
craftsmanship and skills for restoration and
rebuilding was also highlighted by UNESCO
to sustain the World Heritage property’s
Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).