‘Workshop on Intangible Cultural Heritage and Climate Change: Enhancing knowledge sharing and networking in Asia and the Pacific’ was held in Chengdu, China, from 29 May to 1 June 2025. The event was co-organized by UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia (Beijing Office) and the International Training Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (CRIHAP). Yoko Nojima, Head of Research Section, attended this meeting on behalf of IRCI. She actively participated in the workshop discussions, while moderating a session on indigenous knowledge and a part of final discussion on collaborative research on ICH and climate change.

This workshop was an opportunity for researchers who contributed their papers to the Call for Case Studies on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage and Climate Actions from Asia-Pacific Region in 2024 to get together for intensive discussions and dialogue between ICH, disaster risk management, and climate change. IRCI is especially pleased that three case studies conducted in the past IRCI project ‘Research on ICH Safeguarding and Disaster Risk Management’ were included in this activity and their efforts have been further elaborated to address climate change.

As part of the workshop, participants celebrated the launch of the publication of collected case studies, for which Beijing Office, three category 2 centres in East Asia (CRIHAP, ICHCAP, and IRCI), and Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) worked together. The final version of the publication* will be available on the UNESCO website shortly.

[Updated on 12 August 2025]

*The final version of the publication is now available on the following UNESCO digital library website:
Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding and Climate Action in Asia and the Pacific – UNESCO Digital Library

Group photo of the workshop participants
©Chengdu ICH Festival

Launch of the publication of case studies, with the representatives of CRIHAP, IRDR, UNESCO Beijing Office, IRCI and ICHCAP
(from left to right) ©Chengdu ICH Festival

A part of the workshop session
©Chengdu ICH Festival

A part of group session ©Chengdu ICH Festival

Ms Nojima of IRCI facilitating a plenary discussion on research ©Chengdu ICH Festival