Huge effort neededWant to preserve Zabid? Here’s how [Archives:2005/805/Culture]

Ismail Al-Ghabiri
Stakeholders met on the issue of preserving the historic town of Zabid recently at the faculty of education, at the University of Hodeidah.

In attendance were representatives of the local community of the town of Zabid, officials, dignitaries, scholars specialists and supporters who were carefully selected to represent the spectrum of stakeholders on the town of Zabid, in addition to officials at the national and international levels, plus expatriates researchers.

Following is a summary of the some of the recommendations coming from the two-day meeting.

Administration

– To declare a National and regional Campaign to safeguard the historic town of Zabid to be launched in 2005 and to declare Zabid the Capital of Yemeni Culture for the year 2005 with the aim of intensifying efforts to safeguard the town and carry out human resources development and preservation projects in the city with the help of the Ministry, Ministry of Planning and International cooperation and the Council of Ministers).

– To speed up the process of issuing the historic cities conservation laws

– by the concerned government authorities) Ministry, GOPHCY, Ministry of Legal Affairs, Council of Ministers, parliament).

– To speed up the creation of an independent technical unit which could be named ( The Heritage House) and which would service as an independent (financially and administratively) Unit which can be supported internationally for two to three years and would b be mandated to carry-out the mplementation of the conservation Plan.

– Call upon the Ministry of Local Administration and the Governorate of Hodeidah to revive and strengthen the administrative role of the Historic town of Zabid and to increase financial allocations to the town to enable it to play the required role.

– Call upon the education of Judges, Prosecution office and security officials of their role in implementing the penal code related to building violations in Zabid specially those who don't obtain building permits from GOPHCY's office.

– Remove the concrete columns and leveling of the open space and to prevent any new construction in this area by looking for a large building, to restore this building and to give it the function of the branch office for the Ministry of Public works and Roads.

– To speed up procedures to remove the hotel building being constructed in front of Al-Shabareeq Gate (governorates of Hodeidah, Ministry of Public Works and Roads, The high committee for compensation, GOPHCY.)

– To halt any building permits by the Public Works department or any other agency inside the historic quarter or within the buffer zone of the town delineated in the town's land use plan and to prevent any new violation, to strengthen monitoring and following over any restoration and rehabilitation work in the city.

– Push for the removal of all small scale violations such as fences, and small constructions and others and to benefit from the experience of the Old City of Sana'a on this regard).(GOPHCY, the local Council).

– Prepare a short tem and long term plan for removal of all types of violations.

Planning

– To speed up the approval and launching of the Architectural Development and Land use Plan for the Historic Town of Zabid.

– To speed up the completion of the study and the launching of detailed plans for the proposed expansion areas outside of the historic town area and to publish the executive code and planning guidelines along with specficticions and terms and conditions for building in these areas.

– Completion of preparation of the Architectural Development and Land Use plan for the Historic town of Zabid, its executive by laws and guidelines during the first six months of 2005.

– Pay greater attention to the neighboring areas of the historic town of Zabid from a planning perspective in a similar manner as the attention given to the Historic part.

– To speed up the implementation of works to support the critical parts in Asha'er Mosque and to finalize the implementation drawings for the Old Market and the Asha'er Mosque.

Executive

– Translation of these recommendations a detailed action plan which includes the type of intervention and the main agency responsible for implementation as well as the sub-agency responsible for follow-up and to define required costs and deadlines for implementation and completion of tall the tasks.

– To prepare an urgent plan for the conservation of the architectural fabric of the town.

– Search for financing should be carried out to finance the initiation of the implementation of the Old Market plan to revive the economic situation of the town of Zabid.

– To speed up the completion of the Sewerage and Sanitation projects for the town.

– Follow-up on the Office of the Public Works and the Social Fund For Development to finance a project for the pavement of the street network.

– Call up the Social Fund For Development to carry out a study for the production of traditional building material in an affordable manner and specially for bricks.

– Call upon all government agencies and International organizations to support the effort for the restoration and rehabilitation of homes in a similar manner as that of the Historic Town of Shibam-Hadhramout with due considerations to the local characteristics of Zabid and its economic conditions.

On-going

– Call upon the General Authority for Tourism Development to adopt tourism project which provides needed tourism facilities in the town of Zabid in a manner which is suitable to the characteristics of Zabid as an historic town and to come up with a tourism guide for the towns' tourist attractions and historic landmarks.

– Call upon the Ministry of Public Works and Roads represented by the General Authority for Slaughterhouses and Meat markets to speed up the implementation of a central slaughterhouse for the new town of Zabid to provide new work opportunities and a value added economic activity.

– Call upon industrial companies in the public and private sectors to contribute to the support of the textile industry and handicraft industries in the town of Zabid and to help in the marketing of these products with particular emphasis on the construction of a textile plant in the town of Zabid.

Training

– Within a qualification program, specific training and qualification program targeting Conservation agencies should be created.

– Qualification of specialists to prepare restoration and rehabilitation projects for homes, and historic building and landmarks as well as historic areas).

– Qualification of staff on the preparation and management of conservation plan for the Historic cities..

– Qualification of traditional builders and handicrafts persons.

– Call upon the Faculties of Engineering, Architecture Department, Civil Engineering Departments, the Faculty of Literature's departments of antiquities and history to include curriculums related to the conservation of the urban cultural heritage as part of their academic curriculums and the direct graduation thesis for students on the conservation of Zabid in Particular for the year 2005 in coordination with the GOPHCY, GOAAM and the Local Council of Zabid to prevent repetition of selection of projects.

Communication

– Call upon all media organization( officials and private) to intensify their offerings by highlighting the value of conservation of the urban Cultural heritage as a source of pride and Yemeni identity and as an important part of the comprehensive human development plans with special emphasis on the historic town of Zabid, especially in the media organizations 2005 program schedules.
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