Utilising GIS in the Arab world

Under the patronage of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the 3rd of March 2016 saw a gathering of 16 professional representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates for a week long training course at ICCROM-ATHAR Regional Centre in Sharjah, in partnership with the National Council for Tourism, University College London, and in cooperation with the Government of Sharjah's Heritage Institute. This intensive short training course titled "Integrating Documentation in Heritage Management: An Introduction to the Use of Geographic Information Systems - GIS" was led by ICCROM experts who came from Italy, Spain, USA, and the UK. 
Commenting on the importance of the course on conservation efforts, Dr Zaki Aslan, Director of ICCROM-ATHAR Regional Conservation Centre said: "This course is held at a time when much of the cultural heritage in Arab states is lost due to the lack of inventories or records of cultural properties. Integrating documentation in the management and protection of heritage assets, and using up-to-date tools and technology has become crucial - not a luxury - to save museum objects and built heritage alike. It is our aim at ICCROM-ATHAR Regional Conservation Centre in Sharjah to build an institutional capacity in this field for all Arab Member States." 
The participants were introduced to the basic concepts of GIS and how it can be used as a management tool to acquire, analyse and display cultural heritage data. Furthermore, the course demonstrates how GIS can manage cultural heritage by being used to conduct risk assessment and monitoring, as well as compile inventories. The course is divided into themes to familiarise participants with various aspects of GISby providing practical case studies. 
At a closing session when certificates were handed in to participants, Mohammed Khamis bin Hareb Al Muhairi, Director General of the National Council for Tourism and Antiquities in the UAE (NCTA) had positive comments about ICCROM's effort from Sharjah, saying: "We encourage courses in which we are able to share our expertise with others, as well as benefit from the experience of other Arab countries in the areas of heritage and conversation." 
In line with this vision, part of the short-course series is entitled "Informed Conservation", and is specifically aimed at professionals who are looking to expand their working knowledge and experience in the field of cultural heritage conservation. GIS can be a powerful tool for inventory purposes, as well as for assessing, examining, conserving, and protecting cultural heritage. It can assist heritage managers in preventing and reducing damage to cultural heritage buildings affected by current crises in the region, such as looting, illicit trafficking, environmental degradation, and illegal building activities.
The course also included field exercises of GPS data gathering at the site of Al-Dour, where ICCROM-ATHAR manages a conservation project to stabilise the deterioration of a 1st-century temple in cooperation with NCTA, UAE's Ministry of Infrastructure and the Government of Umm Al Quwain. 
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com