On December 1st, the “Intermediate Level Course in Digital Photogrammetry; Drone Piloting and Recording” began. The course, which runs from December 1st to 5th, is being held at the facilities of the Regional Institute of World Heritage in Zacatecas (RWHIZ), a Category 2 Center under the auspices of UNESCO. This marks the start of the second phase of the Training Program for the Use of Digital Technologies Applied to Cultural Heritage in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

The opening ceremony was led by Carlos Augusto Torres Pérez, director of RWHIZ; Raúl Pacheco Pérez, director of the INAH Center in Zacatecas; and Paola Zapata De Santiago, Undersecretary of Projects and Costs for the Secretariat of Public Works of the Government of the State of Zacatecas. Also present were the course instructors, Jorge Cuauhtémoc Martínez Huerta and Juan Carlos Basabe Bañuelos.

Torres Pérez mentioned that during the first phase of the program, developed between 2023 and 2024, more than 60 specialists linked to 15 World Heritage sites in countries such as Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico were trained.

 

 

He also highlighted the interest shown in previous editions of the program, as well as the success achieved by participants in generating 3D models in these countries. This has led to the creation of a digital repository of heritage assets associated with World Heritage sites in the region, hosted on the RWHIZ CC2-UNESCO website.

In this intermediate-level program, promoted by RWHIZ in collaboration with the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) through the INAH Zacatecas Center, participants from various institutions involved in the protection and conservation of cultural heritage in Zacatecas, such as the Ministry of Public Works, the Zacatecas Institute of Culture “Ramón López Velarde,” the INAH Zacatecas Center, and RWHIZ itself, will learn to pilot drones for aerial photography and enhance their knowledge of photogrammetric techniques and advanced processes.

The initiative responds to the need to further strengthen the processes of registering and digitizing cultural heritage, especially given the constant threats of deterioration and destruction to which World Heritage properties are exposed.

 

 

During this course, participants will delve into the methodologies associated with digital photogrammetry, a technique that allows for the creation of detailed virtual replicas of heritage assets from photographs and specialized software, particularly through drone piloting and recording—essential tools for gathering precise information at historical monuments, cities, and archaeological sites.

With this initiative, RWHIZ reaffirms its commitment to strengthening local and regional capacities, contributing to the protection and sustainable management of the cultural heritage of Zacatecas and the surrounding region.