Abstract
Cultural heritage is very important in fostering a quality of life with value and pride in all civilizations. It comes together with an historic message and information that the cultural materials transmit from the past to the present and the future. Therefore, the protection of world cultural heritage from natural and man-made disasters has been a focus both nationally and internationally for the last fifty years. There are a number of examples indicate the extent of the irreplaceable destruction of heritage by natural disasters, such as Arg-e Bam. Similar to most disasters, the 2003 Bam earthquake presented windows of opportunities for disaster mitigation, risk preparedness, physical planning, and socio-economic and cultural developments. The earthquake damaged a significant part of the historical areas of city and created an opportunity for developing a resilient community that could be used as a model city for other parts of the country. The Bam disaster created new opportunities for the city’s exceptional cultural heritage and further developments in tourism. Publicity focused on the earthquake provided an opportunity for further development and growth of the city’s unique and internationally renowned date production, renovation of the old irrigation systems, and expansion of the city’s related industries. The city could also use this disaster to reshape its physical planning and development by introducing new planning ideas and innovations. Now, more than four years after the disaster, this article analyses the extent such opportunities were exploited and proposes strategies and recommendations for future risk preparedness planning in Bam. It outlines a study, findings of which indicate that without undertaking an integral approach in terms of physical, social and cultural aspects, there will be little chance to find suitable and sustainable growth.
