Heritage waste management: A possible paradigm shift in the post-earthquake reconstruction in central Italy
Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development
ISSN: 2044-1266
Article publication date: 28 November 2019
Issue publication date: 15 January 2020
Abstract
Purpose
The considerable volume of rubble generated by the 2016–2017 earthquakes in central Italy reveals a significant issue in the post-disaster reconstruction phase. Drawing from the experience of Macerata province and the city of Camerino, the purpose of this paper is to explore a possible change of attitude in the reuse of heritage waste materials in the reconstruction process of damaged historical villages and towns in Italy.
Design/methodology/approach
This research outlines a comparison between national and regional directives on the rubble management on the one hand, and the praxis on the other, carrying out semi-structured interviews with experts who have been involved in the reconstruction process of Macerata province and Camerino, in Marche region.
Findings
The research reveals that the current vision in Italy for the management of disaster waste is still very close to the traditional paradigm that gives heritage waste an intrinsic value, worthy of great efforts for its collection, catalogue and preservation in view of the likely philological restoration of the damaged heritage. The most recent experiences in Camerino show that institutions responsible for the conservation of cultural heritage may accept a possible paradigm shift towards a more innovative and less expert-driven approach to heritage waste materials and their possible upcycling.
Originality/value
Within a critique of the traditional restoration paradigm, this article links disaster waste management to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, to enhance the long-term sustainability of historical villages and towns in Italy.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to express their special thanks to the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage and the Civil Protection of Marche Region for their precious collaboration.
Citation
Shirvani Dastgerdi, A., Stimilli, F., Pisano, C., Sargolini, M. and De Luca, G. (2020), "Heritage waste management: A possible paradigm shift in the post-earthquake reconstruction in central Italy", Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 76-89. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCHMSD-07-2019-0087
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited