UNESCO is expanding efforts to protect living heritage across Small Island Developing States (SIDS), arguing that traditional knowledge systems are increasingly essential to disaster preparedness and climate resilience as island nations face rising environmental threats.

From the Pacific to the Caribbean, communities are using inherited practices such as cyclone-resistant housing, traditional medicine, oral storytelling, food preservation and weaving not only to preserve cultural identity, but also to respond to increasingly severe climate pressures including rising sea levels, volcanic activity, floods, cyclones and displacement.

UNESCO said these practices, often passed down through generations, represent both vulnerable cultural assets and practical tools for survival, particularly in remote communities with limited access to formal infrastructure.

Small Island Developing States account for less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet remain among the most exposed to the consequences of climate change because of their geography, dependence on natural resources and vulnerability to extreme weather events.

In response, UNESCO, with financial support from the Government of Japan, launched a regional project involving communities in Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Belize and The Bahamas to strengthen the role of intangible cultural heritage in disaster risk reduction.

The project focused on documenting community practices, supporting transmission of traditional knowledge and connecting local communities with disaster management authorities so cultural knowledge could be integrated into formal resilience planning.

UNESCO said the approach reflects a broader recognition that living heritage can serve as both a safeguard and a response mechanism during emergencies.On Vanuatu’s Tanna Island, for example, community member Warau Frederick described traditional cyclone shelter construction as both cultural preservation and physical protection.

Vanuatu is among the countries most exposed to climate-related disasters in the Pacific, regularly facing cyclones, volcanic eruptions and displacement pressures. Communities there continue to rely on long-established building methods using local materials and inherited techniques to construct shelters capable of withstanding severe weather.

Frederick said he learned the process from his uncle and chose to build a shelter for his family before cyclone season, reflecting how traditional architecture remains embedded in everyday preparedness.Traditional weaving also remains economically significant in the same communities.

Eva Namri, a community member on Tanna Island and a knowledge bearer of traditional weaving, said the practice serves as a financial safety net during periods of hardship.“Weaving brings a great deal of income to my family,” Namri said. “It supports us whenever we face financial difficulties.

The biggest challenge for weaving comes from natural disasters.”UNESCO said such examples show how cultural practices operate simultaneously as economic resilience tools and heritage systems, particularly where formal income opportunities are limited.

Across the Caribbean, communities participating in the project focused on preserving food systems and traditional medicine as part of local resilience strategies.

In Fiji, where flooding and environmental changes increasingly threaten food security, communities relied on traditional fishing, farming methods and collective cooperation to maintain access to food.

In Vanuatu, people facing repeated displacement from volcanic activity and cyclones used early warning knowledge, gardening systems and traditional housing practices to reduce vulnerability.In Tonga, communities displaced by a volcanic eruption and tsunami emphasized the importance of oral traditions and craft practices not only for cultural continuity but also for mental well-being and livelihood recovery after disaster.

UNESCO said the project also created longer-term institutional foundations by identifying community members to serve as Intangible Cultural Heritage ambassadors, responsible for helping sustain and transmit traditional practices beyond the duration of the program.These local ambassadors were tasked with ensuring knowledge transfer, particularly in communities facing relocation or demographic shifts that risk interrupting intergenerational learning.

For many participants, the initiative also had direct economic implications.Feleti Akauola, a community member from Atata in Tonga, said relocation after disaster created uncertainty over how families could rebuild sustainable livelihoods.

He said guidance from Sitiveni Fehoko, a community trainer and intangible cultural heritage ambassador, helped communities think about traditional knowledge not only as preservation, but as a source of income and long-term stability.

“One of the key aspects of the project was that it strengthened me in many ways,” Akauola said. “It explained ways we could earn a living, especially for those of us who had been relocated. This was very encouraging, and it gave me and my wife the idea to start our work and make a living for our family.”UNESCO said this illustrates how cultural safeguarding increasingly intersects with economic adaptation, particularly in island states where environmental shocks can quickly translate into displacement, unemployment and food insecurity

.The agency has argued that disaster planning should not treat heritage solely as something to be protected after crisis, but as an active component of prevention and recovery strategies.As climate risks intensify globally, UNESCO said living heritage offers continuity that extends beyond formal emergency responses, helping communities retain identity while adapting to rapidly changing environmental conditions.

The organization said the project also raised awareness of vulnerable traditions that may otherwise disappear as migration, urbanization and repeated disasters disrupt local transmission systems.Even in cases of displacement, UNESCO found that communities continued practicing oral traditions, crafts and local environmental knowledge, reinforcing the adaptability of living heritage under pressure.

The initiative aligns with broader United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to climate resilience, cultural sustainability and inclusive development, particularly in regions where environmental vulnerability and cultural preservation are closely linked.UNESCO said future efforts will continue to focus on integrating heritage protection into national disaster reduction policies while supporting local ownership of cultural safeguarding.

For Small Island Developing States, the agency said, resilience increasingly depends not only on infrastructure and funding, but also on whether communities can retain the knowledge systems that have helped them survive for generations.

A little-known stone structure in northwest England has been added to the country’s list of protected heritage sites, after officials granted it Grade II* status following an assessment of its architectural and historical significance.

The building, known locally as Henry’s Castle, is located in the Lake District and had most recently been used as a shelter for livestock.The designation was approved by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England.

Grade II* status is awarded to structures deemed of “more than special interest” and accounts for approximately 5.8% of all listed buildings in England, placing Henry’s Castle among a relatively small group of protected sites.The listing brings the structure into the same category as prominent landmarks such as Battersea Power Station, Transporter Bridge, and the London Coliseum.

Despite this classification, Henry’s Castle differs significantly in scale and visibility, consisting of a limestone rubble building situated on elevated ground near Kendal, within walking distance of the village of Underbarrow.According to Historic England, research indicates that the structure may date back to the 14th century and exhibits characteristics associated with high-status construction.

However, its original function remains unclear. While it has been used in more recent centuries as a field barn, experts suggest that this was not its initial purpose.Sarah Charlesworth, a listing team leader at Historic England, said the building’s ambiguity contributes to its significance, describing it as an example of a rare structure that continues to prompt unresolved questions about its origins and use.

The building first drew renewed attention during a 2022 site visit by Rose Lord, a built environment adviser with the Lake District National Park Authority. Lord noted that, despite its degraded condition and evidence of long-term agricultural use, several architectural features indicated a more complex history.

She identified elements including a corbelled chimneystack and a corbelled garderobe, features not typically associated with simple agricultural buildings.Interior observations also pointed to earlier domestic or high-status use.

The presence of plastered and limewashed walls, combined with evidence of internal fireplaces and a structured arrangement of openings, suggested a level of design and occupation inconsistent with a standard barn.

Subsequent conservation work, carried out over four years by archaeologists, architects and engineers, focused on stabilising and restoring the structure. Particular attention was given to the roof, which includes an oak truss system described as precisely finished and consistent with high-quality carpentry from the late medieval period.

The craftsmanship of this central truss has been identified as one of the building’s most significant features.Various interpretations of the building’s original function have been proposed, though none have been conclusively established.

Suggestions include its use as a lookout or defensive dwelling, a hunting lodge associated with a deer park, or a seasonal residence of relatively high status. Historic England has also noted similarities with bastles, a type of fortified farmhouse found in the Anglo-Scottish border region and designed to protect inhabitants and livestock from raids.

However, the structure’s location south of the traditional bastle distribution area makes a direct classification unlikely.Historical records indicate that the building underwent changes in use over time. It is believed to have been adapted for domestic occupation during the 16th or 17th century, before being repurposed as a field barn by the 19th century.

Its current name derives from Henry Willison, a former owner.Officials involved in the conservation project described the Grade II* listing as a significant outcome, particularly given that most structures of comparable importance have already been identified in earlier heritage surveys.

The designation ensures legal protection and formal recognition of the site’s architectural and historical value.As part of ongoing efforts to manage and interpret the site, authorities plan to install informational panels outlining current research and findings.

Additional measures include the placement of a nesting box intended to support local owl populations, reflecting an effort to integrate conservation of both built and natural heritage.

The listing of Henry’s Castle highlights the continued identification of historically significant structures within rural landscapes and underscores the role of ongoing research and fieldwork in reassessing buildings that may have been overlooked in previous surveys.