The current document has been developed as Guidelines for Post‐Earthquake Temporary Structural Stabilization of Historical Monuments with specific reference to the archaeological monuments of Bagan, Myanmar. In addition, the document has been
prepared for UNESCO in the aftermath of the M 6.8 Chauk earthquake of 24th August 2016 that severely affected the Bagan region in Myanmar. A disaster management cycle, as shown in Fig. 1.1, proceeds in a sequential manner with post‐disaster emergency response, followed by the recovery and restoration phase.These two activities are part of the immediate response to the event that has just occurred, and constitute management of the disaster in the short‐term to medium‐term. This phase
could extend typically from zero to five years, and in the case of historical monuments, even longer. The second phase involves activities aimed at mitigating risks of the identified hazard (earthquakes in this case) and building preparedness in the region in the medium‐ to long‐term. Retrofit of structures and preparation of disaster management plans are carried out. The current document addresses the mechanisms of post‐earthquake safety evaluation and identification of potential risks of partial or complete collapse through rapid visual surveys and selection, design, detailing and execution of short‐term counter measures for temporary stabilization and strengthening aimed at mitigating the identified risks.