Pratnatattva Journal of the Dept. of Archaeology Jahangirnagar University, Vol. 25, June 2019: 195-202 ISSN 1560-7593 195 Disaster Risk Reduction in Architectural Heritage of Urban Areas QAZI AZIZUL MOWLA Professor Department of Architecture Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh qmowla@yahoo.co.uk Abstract Architectural Heritage are susceptible to the impact of natural and man-made hazards and it is more obvious in the urban areas. With the massive rate of unplanned urbanization, and the inherent risks or vulnerability that are faced by dense urban areas, there is a need for a specialized approach to risk reduction or management of heritage. The study, attempts to identify the vulnerabilities architectural heritage sites in an urban area and respond to contain them in a systematic manner. It is a desktop study coupled with authors own experience in urban design and heritage conservation. The study advocates for an action plan for disaster risk reduction (DRR) on architectural heritage in urban areas right from awareness campaign and the urban planning and design stages, because preventive DRR measures are found more appropriate for the conservation of heritage artefacts. Introduction Architectural heritage are exposed to the impact of natural and man-made hazards and it is more evident in the context of urban areas. Heritage, in both its tangible and intangible manifestations, is essential for a city‟s cultural identity and continuity. Heritage may be tangible comprising of historic precincts of cities or culturally significant buildings and towns/areas besides intangible issues like extant culture of traditional buildings, skills and knowledge also rites, rituals, social life and life style of the inhabitants that are manifested directly or indirectly to give a particular identity or ambiance to an urban area. Architectural heritage are also directly affected by insensitive urban planning and design, which in turn results in cultural discontinuity and identity crisis. Loss of identity, urban blight, hazards, pollution, traffic and water congestions etc. may be attributed to lack of awareness regarding the contribution of natural and man-made heritage of a place in the development and planning process. The type of risk, to natural and man-made heritage, that needs to be mitigated are basically natural hazards leading to disaster like devouring of flourishing settlements by the meandering rivers or ravage of nature (cyclone, floods, earthquake, tsunami etc.) including climate change related risk and hazards. Man-made hazards are due to the extreme pressure on agricultural land due to overpopulation and rapid (unplanned) urbanization and encroachments (of natural and man-made heritage). Lack of awareness regarding the importance of architectural heritage conservation (including urban design and planning) and lack of skill for architectural conservation is yet another risk. Political ravage also cannot be ignored (Babri Mosque, Buddhas of Bamyan etc. are examples). Insensitive contemporary development and technology may also lead to a risky/vulnerable situation. Disaster risk is not only from a measure of external, potential threats, but also of the inherent vulnerabilities existing at any given site. Heritage plays a crucial role in fostering resilience by reducing vulnerabilities, and also by providing priceless assets for the sustainable social and economic development of an affected region during its recovery phase, by attracting investment, creating employment, or providing renewable natural resources. This is why the protection of heritage in the event of disaster is of paramount importance (Refer to Note 1 for brief history of natural disasters in Bangladesh). Major Natural Disasters in Bangladesh are the occurrences of flood, cyclone and cyclonic surge, earthquake, drought, tornado, riverbank erosion, and landslide etc. Excepting droughts, all other above phenomenon are direct threat to the heritage artefacts. The droughts, cause poverty which indirectly effects the existence of heritage property. Bangladesh has experienced 44 floods in the last 45 years since 1954, 16 of which were large floods and the total monetary value of the damage and losses is about Tk. 700,000 million. Bangladesh has faced 48 major cyclones since 1584 of which 22 occurred after the independent of the country in 1971. Among these, the cyclones of 1971, 1991, 1997, 2007 (Cyclone Sidr) and 2009 (Cyclone Aila) are worth mentioning. Drought has become a recurrent natural phenomenon of the north-western Bangladesh (i.e. Barind Tract) in the recent decades. It hampers crop production and at the same time creates unemployment problems in that region. The historical seismic data of Bangladesh and adjoining areas indicate that Bangladesh is vulnerable to earthquake hazard. The record of approximately 150 years