​​Neglect, conflict, and climate change threaten heritage in the area of the Nafusa Mountains (Libya) and the region of Tataouine (Tunisia). The Partnership for Heritage project intends to document and protect the tangible and intangible heritage of these key geographical areas, close to the border between Libya and the region of Tataouine in Tunisia, which were linked in Antiquity and developed similar traditions and occupation patterns. ​

This program of documentation and conservation in the Nafusa is an essential step for the protection of the entire heritage of Libya, and the project aims to increase attention to the diverse cultural heritage and the need of protecting and documenting heritage in a diachronic perspective. The Nafusa in Libya and the region of Tataouine in the south of Tunisia were historically united, and although there is a modern border, they have been one entity for many centuries. Both regions are also under threat from climate change and increasing aridity. The project aims therefore to investigate the two areas jointly and provide joint long- term strategies for the preservation of the tangible and intangible heritage of these regions.

 The project will train heritage professionals in documentation, assessment, conservation, and evaluation of impact of climate change, transferring knowledge from the interdisciplinary expert base of the project team, creating a long-term sustainable skills base that can be applied across a wide range of heritage damaged through armed conflict and neglect in any part of the MENA region. Serving as a model, it will produce training materials usable in other areas. Training archaeologists and architects as a cohort will guarantee that the restoration process fully considers the monuments (building phases, conflict damage, environmental degradation processes).

Interviews and documentaries will record and rediscover the intangible heritage of crafts, textiles, olive oil production, building techniques and more. Outreach activity will support the preservation of this knowledge and its adaptation to current needs.

The outcomes of the project will improve heritage protection, preserve the traditional crafts, and engage with the public and create new job opportunities and business through tourism.

The project is funded by Aliph, the international alliance for the protection of heritage in conflict areas, Kaplan Trust and the British Council - Cultural Protection Fund.