Physical cultural resources are defined as movable or immovable facilities, sites, structures, groups of structures, natural features, and landscapes that have archaeological, paleontological, historical, architectural, religious, aesthetic, or other cultural significance. Their cultural interest may be at the local, provincial or national level, or within the international community. Physical cultural resources are important as sources of valuable scientific and historical information, as assets for economic and social development, and as integral parts of a people’s cultural identity and practices.
The World Bank assists countries to avoid or mitigate adverse impacts on physical cultural resources from development projects that it finances. The Borrower has an obligation to address impacts on physical cultural resources in projects proposed for Bank financing as an integral part of the environmental assessment process. When the project is likely to have adverse impacts on physical cultural resources, the Borrower identifies appropriate measures for avoiding or mitigating these impacts as part of the environmental assessmentprocess. These measures may range from full site protection to selective mitigation, including salvage and documentation, in cases where a portion or all of the physical cultural resources may be lost.
Although in floodplains the OVFMP should not have any impact on the physical cultural resources, near and within cities such as Kraków, Sandomierz, and Słubice and in their area, the works will be carried out near protected cultural heritage buildings. Additionally, rehabilitation of embankments in these and other cities will likely result in chance finds. Therefore, appropriate provisions for archeological investigations and rescue works near these buildings, and for chance finds have been included in the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF).