Princess Dana Firas attends launch of ‘Future for Our Past’ initiative

AMMAN — HH Princess Dana Firas, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Cultural Heritage and president of the Association of the World Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS Jordan), on Sunday attended the launch of the "Future for Our Past" initiative at the association's headquarters, known as "Beit Yaish".

This visionary project was conceived in response to a call by National Geographic in 2021, seeking projects dedicated to safeguarding at-risk cultural heritage sites impacted by climate change and conflict. 

The project's approach aims to help stakeholders envision potential future climate effects on heritage sites, and enables them to formulate sustainable change management plans, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

Princess Dana underscored the importance of addressing today’s most pressing questions surrounding climate change and its repercussions on cultural heritage sites and the communities within and around them. 

In her remarks, the princess asked, "Are we prepared to respond to this new natural order and effectively address the transformative challenges that lie ahead? What can we do with sufficient urgency to safeguard both people and sites?"

Chairman of Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) Board of Commissioners, Suleiman Farajat, reaffirmed the authority's commitment to involving local communities in decision-making processes and drawing upon other countries' climate change-related experiences.