Heritage loss is a loss of identity, Minister Heena warns in appeal for island nations

The loss of cultural heritage threatens the identity and collective memory of island nations, Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage Heena Waleed has warned, calling for stronger international support to protect heritage from climate threats.

Speaking at the fourth Council Meeting of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia (ACHA) in Hangzhou, China, Heena highlighted the challenges facing small island developing states in safeguarding historic sites, traditional knowledge and cultural practices.

For countries like the Maldives, the loss of cultural heritage is not merely a conservation concern. It is a loss of identity, collective memory and irreplaceable knowledge

she stated.

Heena said rising sea levels, coastal erosion, flooding and extreme weather threatened the Maldives’ historic structures, archaeological remains and cultural settings.

Recalling the destruction caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami on islands including Vilufushi and Gemendhoo, she stressed the urgency of systematic documentation and digital preservation.

She outlined opportunities under President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s Maldives 2.0 vision to develop digital heritage inventories, document structures in three dimensions and preserve manuscripts and oral traditions through emerging technologies.

However, she said technological progress must protect cultural rights and ensure that Dhivehi, traditional knowledge and smaller communities’ cultural expressions were represented in digital spaces.

No culture should become invisible simply because it is spoken by fewer people or belongs to a smaller nation

she added.

Heena said the Maldives’ geographical dispersion increased the cost and complexity of conservation, while limited expertise, infrastructure and financing presented further obstacles.

She called for targeted technical assistance, sustained financing, technology transfer and professional training for vulnerable island states.

Through ACHA, she identified opportunities for cooperation on climate-resilient conservation, digital preservation, responsible artificial intelligence and maritime cultural heritage, urging partners to turn shared commitments into practical programmes.

No nation’s cultural heritage should face a greater risk of being lost simply because that nation is geographically vulnerable or has limited resources

Minister Heena stated

Established in 2023, the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia (ACHA) promotes regional cooperation in heritage conservation through joint research, restoration projects, professional training and cultural exchanges.

It provides a platform for countries to share expertise and work together to safeguard Asia’s cultural heritage.