ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) announced on Wednesday that a detailed needs assessment and identification of short- and long-term measures for the rehabilitation and strengthening of Makli necropolis and Mohenjo Daro against future natural disasters would be carried out by a team of Unesco experts this month.

Under the World Heritage Centre Emergency Assistance, the Unesco is conducting damage assessment of the World Heritage Sites of Makli and Mohenjo Daro in Sindh, in collaboration with the Sindh Culture, Tourism, Antiquities, and Archives Department.

Heavy monsoon rainfall caused widespread flooding in Pakistan resulting in significant loss of lives, livelihoods, and shelter. The natural disaster also severely damaged cultural heritage sites in the country.

Soon after the visit of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Director of Unesco, Islamabad, Youssef Filali-Meknassi, Unesco mobilised $350,000 from the World Heritage Emergency Assistance and the Heritage Emergency Fund to assist in the needs assessment and recovery of cultural sites and displaced cultural professionals in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

In January, Youssef Filali-Meknassi, accompanied by National Project Officer Mariam Farooqi, visited the Makli necropolis in Thatta for an initial assessment of the damages caused by heavy rainfall, and the urgent stabilisation measures carried out by the site management team.

A two-member team comprising Unesco National Professional Officer Jawad Aziz and a consultant and expert on conservation on earthen architecture Thierry Joffroy visited Mohenjo Daro to assess the impact of the rainfall, and meet local authorities to plan next steps for the stabilisation and recovery of the site.

The team identified that rainwater drainage systems were unable to handle the increased volume of heavy rainfall during the monsoon season, resulting in extensive structural damage.

The initial visit identified urgent short-term measures to ensure stabilisation against further damage, and long-term interventions to protect the site against new risks created by the rainfall.

In January 2023, the Unesco team comprising Cristina Menegazzi, culture and heritage expert, and Mr Jawad Aziz, National Professional Officer, accompanied consultant Thierry Joffroy for a second visit to Mohenjo Daro to guide the Mohenjo Daro management team on stabilisation of the affected structures.

Alongside government officials, students from selected universities were also invited to gain valuable field experience in conservation methods.

The Unesco team inspected the circular drain around the site which has been blocked with silt, mud and wild growth at many places and not functioning properly. The team also visited the conservation laboratory on site, where water and soil are tested before being used for conservation work.

The Unesco team also visited the Great Bath to examine the tunnel drain of the Bath which was damaged due to the runoff water coming from the southern side and recommended that only the wall should be stabilised to prevent further damage at the moment. Archaeological records must be consulted to understand the original structure before any long-term restoration work was carried out, advised the team members.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2023