Global Heritage Fund

2011 PROJECT PROGRESS

Latest video from Banteay Chhmar.

Click the above photo to view Planning slideshow.

Planning

The GHF Team has finalized the Hydrological Research Program and the completion of papers for a planned publication for UNESCO and a laymen’s guide to the hydrology of Banteay Chhmar.
GHF contributed to the funding of a two-day seminar when representatives from various key stakeholder groups were called to discuss the development of this plan.
Preliminary negotiations are under way with Landscape Architect Allen Kerton to establish a plan of action to develop a “vision” for Banteay Chhmar.

Click the above photo to view Conservation Science slideshow.

Conservation Science

The dismantling, recording, and reconstruction of Face Tower 18N is advancing nicely, and a new system of 3D digital scanning is being pioneered which will allow the team to virtually reconstruct the tower in high-resolution 3D.
Major progress in the conservation and structural repair of the Southeast sector of the East Gallery Enclosure Wall III occurred in 2011.

Click the above photo to view Community Development slideshow.

Community Development

The Solid Waste Management project that was established in 2011 has shown considerable success so far, with waste collection ongoing across the Banteay Chhmar community and significantly less garbage scattered by the community in general.
GHF continues to support the Community Based Tourism (CBT) Project. Under the direction of the CBT coordinator, the guide trainees have been identified, and training will commence at the beginning of 2012.

Click the above photo to view Partnerships slideshow.

Partnerships

Most of the conservation training has been executed on site, and has been carried out through a partnership with a local atelier, Southeast Asian Conservation and Restoration (SACRA).
Another productive collaboration has been with the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR) University of Heidelberg, whose program, Scientific Computing for Cultural Heritage, under the direction of Dr Pheakdey Nguonphan - a staff member of GHF’s Banteay Chhmar Project - has been working on the development of a scientific research program to scan fallen structures using 3D digital scanning technology with the challenge of being able to virtually reconstruct them.

2009 - 2010 PROJECT PROGRESS

Planning

A hydrological assessment has been conducted to understand the ancient water management system and to address recurrent flooding issues which threaten the site
The Interdisciplinary Centre for Science Computing (IWR) at University of Heidelberg continues to develop and test a system for 3D scanning of construction stones to aid in recording and reconstruction
Masterplanning for the Banteay Chhmar nomination to the World Heritage List has been initiated with the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts

Conservation

Work on the reconstruction of the bas-relief wall in the southeast corner of the central temple complex is under way, with trained local workers recording, repairing and consolidating the carved stone blocks prior to their being reset in their original positions
Emergency repairs are being conducted on the most threatened Face Tower at Banteay Chhmar to prevent its collapse

Community

Community development in Banteay Chhmar is making great strides under the guidance of the Community Based Tourism (CBT) organization with support from GHF and its partner Heritage Watch for English language instruction and guide training
In May, all the homestay owners received a $300 no-interest loan from Global Heritage Fund (GHF) to upgrade their homestays, in particular the bathroom facilities. All the homestay bathrooms will soon have concrete (or tile) floors, western-style toilets, showerheads and a water storage tank. The owners will do the labor themselves and repay the loans based on their own terms and ability (about 2 years)
CBT has also seen a significant increase in tourist visitation numbers and use of the homestay program and other services which it offers
Training in archaeological conservation methods for local community members also continued in 2010 with support from GHF and under the direction of South Asia Conservation and Restoration Agency (SACRA)
The onsite conservation team is now entirely Cambodian

Partnerships

The GHF Cambodia Corporate Council, now with 10 members, has been established in-country to provide funding and advice to the project
$1.2 million has been committed to the Banteay Chhmar project by GHF, Cambodian Corporate Council (CCC) and four co-funding partners