[jcommin]

There isn't allot you can do -

keep it in the garage
keep it out of the sun
don't use water based protectants
Put a cover over it

I have an old style dash and I had it recovers 12 years ago. The dash is made from, what appears to be, a paper based material.

There are several previous posts as to how many have repaired the dashes - I'm not sure one is better than the other. Recovering a dash is expense, which is why many opt for a cover. There are pro and cons with a cover - the fit seems to be the issue. There is no good answer.