UNESCO’s Heritage Emergency Fund contributes to the cultural and artistic recovery of Guerrero’s coastal region in Mexico, fostering economic revitalization and strengthening psychosocial resilience among people affected by two major hurricanes in less than a year.
The first hurricane called “Otis” struck Acapulco and Coyuca de Benítez in 2023, which was one of the most powerful in the region’s history. The Fund was activated to support the victims, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Culture, the Guerrero State Ministry of Culture, and the Municipality of Acapulco. The initiative was later adapted to address the impact of Hurricane John in September 2024 on the same port city.
More than 340 residents have benefited from the reactivation of the San Diego Fort Historical Museum, the rehabilitation of independent cultural spaces, and the funding of free community cultural workshops for children and adolescents.
“Acapulco is much more than a sun-and-sand destination. Its cultural diversity and heritage can serve as vehicles for well-being and equity when integrated into public policies, including emergency prevention, response, and recovery. Community participation and cooperation with the private sector are essential to these processes,” said Carlos Tejada, National Culture Officer at UNESCO Mexico.
Through the Fund, 23 artists and cultural managers have received assistance to deliver cultural and artistic workshops, encompassing over 120 sessions across multiple disciplines, as well as audiovisual documentary.
Luis Ricardo Palma, one of the workshop facilitators, highlighted that culture enables people to process emotions and experiences, even the most difficult ones. He added culture can strengthen human connections.
In addition to natural disasters, there are ongoing social emergencies and violence worldwide. The workshops thus addressed issues such as protection from exploitation and sexual abuse, social integration of migrants, and family and collective grief. UNESCO helped the recovery processes of over 300 children and adolescents, along with their families and communities.
The intervention at the San Diego Fort was also crucial to cultural, tourism and economic recovery. The support included restoration of identity, refurbishment of museography and creation of a new exhibition on Afro-Mexican history and culture. UNESCO also provided assistance in equipping the Fort with environmental and lighting systems to display heritage collections and enhancing its underwater archaeology exhibit.
The financial contribution also restored independent cultural spaces, such as “A Space for Everyone” in San Pedro de las Playas and “La Quebrada Art Space” in Parazal. These initiatives upheld the right to cultural life for more than 500 annual visitors, focusing on dance and community documentary cinema.
UNESCO also established a recovery and reactivation committee with different federal and local ministries. The committee has identified Acapulco’s cultural heritage assets to develop proposals for equitable, community-centred cultural tourism management. One initiative envisions the creation of the “Traditional Acapulco Cultural and Tourism Corridor”, featuring 20 locations, including the San Diego Fort, Acapulco Cathedral, La Quebrada, and Sinfonía del Mar. Resource management efforts are ongoing to bring this project to fruition.
Natural disasters are inevitable, but their impacts can be mitigated. UNESCO’s actions were guided by principles of adaptability, sustainability, gender equality, protection, accessibility, interculturality, a focus on vulnerable populations and community resilience. Such principles collected by UNESCO and UNDP are captured in the “Guidelines for Resilient and Inclusive Tourism Recovery and Reconstruction,” available in Spanish.