Archaeological Assessments Ltd

Select experience of Heritage Impact Assessment projects, workshops and  trainings conducted in the region by AAL or its team as individuals. 

 Heritage Impact Assessment capacity workshop training in Bagan for government officials and private sector (2019-2020) - For Myanmar Heritage Department

Five session HIA training, including (1) intro to HIA, (2) legislation and planning, (3) screening, scoping and setting up an HIA, (4) assessment and mitigation, and (5) monitoring, audit.  Training is conducted over the course of one year and includes practical sessions on aspects of implementing HIA.

Heritage Impact Assessment Study and Preparation of Chance Finds Protocol for Proposed Additional Works within the Luang Prabang World Heritage Property Boundary (Nov 2018)– For Asian Development Bank

The project includes an assessment the impacts on cultural heritage from proposed works at Mount Phousi and on the grounds of the Luang Prabang National Museum (former royal palace), both located within the World Heritage property boundary. The study proposes appropriate mitigation measures and recommendations, but overall, the proposed civil works were deemed beneficial or acceptable. 

Drafting of Heritage Impact Assessment chapters as part of World Heritage Nomination Submissions for Bagan, Myanmar and Plain of Jars, Lao PDR (2017/2018) - for State Parties

Plain of Jars, Xieng Khouang. Introductory workshop on HIA for World Heritage. Lao PDR (Nov 2018)- For Lao Heritage Department

In preparation to World Heritage listing, the Lao PDR Heritage Department organize a one-day workshop in Xieng Khouang for local heritage managers to introduce HIA. 

Capacity Building to Safeguard Cultural Heritage in Myanmar Phase III (534MYA4002) (2017)– For UNESCO Bangkok

Review of heritage impact assessment training for government official in Myanmar and HIA work shop for heritage managers in Puy Cities and Mrauk U.

Heritage Impact Assessment Report on Proposed Conservation Centre at Vat Phou (2017) – For Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation (KCHF)

The project assessed the impact of construction and operation of a proposed conservation centre within the Archaeological Zone (Zone 3) and alongside the Monument Zone (Zone 4) in Vat Phou. 

Macau LRT Project C240R1. Review and update of Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment on Advance Works, Main Works and Design Changes for Barra Station (2017) - For Macau Transport Department

Study assessed updated design for Barra station and reviews previous conducted cultural heritage studies for the LRT project.  The updated CHIA will include detailed assessment and mitigation recommendations if required. 

Study assessed updated design for Barra station and reviews previous conducted cultural heritage studies for the LRT project.  The updated CHIA will include detailed assessment and mitigation recommendations if required.

Heritage Impact Assessment for three proposed pilot tourism infrastructure project in Bagan (2016) – For JICA

A heritage impact assessment was undertaken for three proposed tourism infrastructure projects, including tourist information centres, viewing platforms and upgrade of local roads.   The need for each proposed pilot project was assessed against the significance of the tentative world heritage and included a review of alternative options.  

Heritage Impact Assessment in Bagan Phase 2+3 and Heritage Management Technical Assistance for Pyu Ancient Cities, Myanmar within the framework of the project “Capacity Building to Safeguard Cultural Heritage in Myanmar Phase II” (534MYA4001) (2015) – for UNESCO Bangkok

The project was two-fold. (1) HIA assessor conducted with a local team, for rapid heritage impact assessments for hotel, motel, guesthouse and large restaurant construction projects in Bagan for which building permits and/or DoA approvals have been requested but construction has not yet started (estimated at approx. 75 projects).  (2) Part of the capacity building training included the development of an interim HIA system for Bagan to regulate and guide the HIA processes which included a 10-day HIA workshop for local heritage managers.

Heritage Impact Assessment in Bagan, Myanmar within the framework of the project “Institutional Capacity Building for Managing Bagan within the World Heritage Framework” (501MYA4000) (2014) – For UNESCO Bangkok

Retroactively assessing the impacts of Bagan Nan Myint Tower (viewing tower) and Bagan Nyaung Oo Golf Club development projects and conducting with a local team rapid heritage impact assessment for five ongoing hotel developments in Bagan. The team advised in collaboration on the development of specific zoning guidelines for the urban areas and approaches to addressing the hotel and guesthouse development encroachment issues.

Heritage Impact Assessment for telecom towers within the tentative world heritage property of Bagan (2014/2015)– For Digicel Myanmar Tower Company Limited, Irrawaddy Green Towers and Apollo Towers

A total of 19 towers were assessed within the heritage zones of Bagan.  The assessment included review of alternative design and construction methods to minimize impact on the heritage structures and landscape.

 WHITRAP – ICCROM Workshops on Training in HIA in Asia: Galle, Sri Lanka (2007); Lijiang, PRC (2012); Dujiangyan, Szechuan, PRC (2014); Hong Kong (2014) and Vigan, Philppines (2016)

This series of international training workshops were conducted in collaboration with the World Heritage Institute for Training and Research in Asia and the Pacific (WHITRAP), Shanghai and the UNESCO-ICCROM Asian Academy for Heritage Management under the leadership of the workshop facilitators. The methodology taught was international best-practice developed for the Asia Pacific region and culminated in the writing and presentation of mock HIA Reports for a proposed development at the local case study site .The workshops included lectures, structured and open discussions, a number of in-class exercises and  a variety of analytical exercises to familiarise participants with all of the detail steps of an HIA, using the example of a local a case study.

SAARC – WHITRAP Workshops on Management Systems of World Heritage Sites in South Asia: Islamabad, Pakistan (August 2013) and SAARC – WHITRAP Workshop on Preparation of UNESCO World Heritage Nominations, Lumbini, Nepal (August 2014)

These two international workshops focused on training for World Heritage property managers and national heritage departments in the Asia Pacific region. The first covered management issues and the role and content of management plans for World Heritage properties, while the second provided training in the preparation of nomination dossiers by national and local heritage authorities.

Review of the Heritage Impact Assessment for the Proposed Melaka Tram (2013) - For Heritage Commissioner of Malaysia 

This Review was commissioned by the Malaysian Commissioner for Heritage to assess the Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) carried out by a local practitioner for MRails International Sdn Bhd. The HIA was initially submitted in December 2012 and then revised in January 2013 after receipt of additional information regarding the proposed rail alignment. This Review addressed the following:

a) The adequacy and completeness of the scoping brief used to commission the HIA;

b) The methodology reported used by SLT Architects in conducting the HIA;

c) The validity and relevance of the conclusions in assessing impact of the project on

the Outstanding Universal Values (OUV) of the Melaka World Heritage property

inscribed on the World Heritage List .

The Review found the HIA to not be credible and recommended ways forward.

Heritage Impact Assessment of Proposed Mining at the UNESCO World Heritage Property Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley (2013) - For Malaysian Heritage Commissioner

HIA for a proposed mining site located on the edge of the World Heritage property boundary and assessed its implications on the OUV of the Archaeological Heritage of Lenggong Valley.

Heritage Impact Assessment of the Swiftlet Industry in Melaka and George Town: Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca and its Impact Outstanding Universal Value of these World Heritage Towns (2013) -For Malaysian Heritage Commissioner

HIA of the swiftlet industry in urban centres of George Town and Melaka.  The study was conducted in response to a World Heritage Centre request and included on hands assessment of swiftlet premises in converted heritage buildings, stakeholder meetings, preparing report for the World Heritage Centre and presentation of findings to local authorities.

Rapid Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment for Route 14A, Champasak Province Laos PDR (2011) – For UNESCO Bangkok

A rapid impact assessment was undertaken for the construction and operation of a new road located within the boundaries of the World Heritage Site. The impacts arising from the new road were assessed not only for changes to the immediate environment of heritage resources, but also in broader terms that would affect the integrity and authenticity of the World Heritage site. Mitigation for identified impacts included alternative road alignment options, traffic control, hydrological studies and introduction of new urban planning schemes that would preserve the World Heritage status of the site and at the same time allow for an acceptable level of development to benefit the local population.

Hong Kong Mini-Conference on Heritage Impact Assessment, University of Hong Kong (2011)

On 14 December 2011, a group of 26 international experts met at the invitation of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Hong Kong to discuss the methodology for undertaking culturalheritage impact assessment in global perspective but with reference to the specificities of the Asian region. The objective of the meeting was to identify a common methodological framework which could systematically underpin most, if not all, HIA with a view to establishing professional standards for this practice. The outcome was a Draft Consensus Statement on CHIA in the Asia – Pacific Region, which laid out future actions for establishing professional ethics and HIA capacity building in the region.

Preliminary Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment for the Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System (2008) - For Asian Development Bank

This project carried out a preliminary assessment of the proposed mass transit alignment to identify and highlight any potential issues or conflicts with Lahore’s many heritage sites. The scope of the HIA included desk-based study and investigations of the alignment, an assessment exercise in line with Asian Development Bank standards for physical cultural heritage and Pakistan’s antiquities legislation. A set of guidelines were prepared to inform the detailed design of the mass transit system and to insert heritage into the process at the earliest possible stage.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Phase 1 Macau Light Rapid Transit System (2008) – For Macau Transport Department

The project was aimed at the provision of an efficient local transportation network that would be in close proximity to a World Heritage Site. The scope of the CHIA study included a desk-based review and intensive site visit to identify the nature of individual heritage resources that would be impacted by the proposed rail project as well as any effects on the World Heritage Site. The project was an interesting application of CHIA as even though the project was not located within the World Heritage Site, it was determined that indirect impacts to WH resources and buffer zones were present and needed to be mitigated to ensure that the authenticity and integrity of the site would not be compromised. Specific impacts that were identified, included visual infringement to the historical setting of individual resources as well as the overall World Heritage Site.