Page 151 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

phase and the project could be left at this stage without putting the vestiges at risk.
It may be helpful to obtain funds from diverse sources to limit the risks of funding interruptions and their consequences. Multi-source financing may in the long-term contribute to ensuring the completion of the project in its planned volume, in all phases, and limit consequences of unpredictable situations.
Alternative sources of funding, to cover emergency situations, need to be already identified while plan- ning the project financing. These provisions have to be kept up-to-date throughout the project. Some countries offer special procedures and government grants to help in emergency situations.
Benefits of Protection
Underwater cultural heritage holds a vast potential for sustainable development. It opens long-term tou- rism and economic development opportunities. The investment in museums of underwater archaeology, dive trails and other forms of access for the public, promises a beneficial and lasting return. Studies show that every dollar invested in heritage increases the economic activity around the site by a factor between 1.2 to 8, depending on the significance of the site and the form of its valorisation by museums and individual access. Exceptional underwater heritage can also be a strong factor for urban development. The Vasa, Mary Rose, Bodrum and Roskilde Museums have considerably changed the way Stockholm, Portsmouth, Bodrum and Roskilde look today.
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Funding