Role of Intangible Cultural Heritage for Disaster Resilient Historic Cities—Case Studies from Japan and Nepal

The concept of disaster resilience is increasingly vital as climate change intensifies the risks of disasters. Historic cities must withstand and recover from these disasters while preserving their cultural heritage and historical significance. Achieving disaster resistance while maintaining architectural integrity presents challenges, particularly in balancing modern materials and techniques with traditional structures. On the other hand, historic cities possess a wealth of physical and social resources, including monuments, cultural spaces, traditional knowledge, and social cohesion passed down through generations, which significantly contribute to disaster resilience. This chapter discusses the importance of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage in disaster resilience and sustainability of historic cities. It examines how intangible cultural heritage (ICH), particularly traditional skills for construction and festivals, contributes to safeguarding cultural heritage and enhancing disaster risk management activities. The chapter provides examples from Japan and Nepal to illustrate the relationship between ICH and disaster resilience. The first part focuses on the restoration of cultural properties from Nepal and the associated issues, drawing on the content of the ICH “Traditional skills, techniques, and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan”. The second part discusses how festivals, an ICH, contribute to community bonding, social cohesion, and Disaster Risk Management (DRM).