Abstract

Climate change is posing a serious threat to our environment, socio-economic development and infrastructures. Our cultural heritage is equally at risk. Action is so required, addressing the necessary legislative frameworks for the implementation of measures, which could mitigate the deterioration of our cultural sites, caused by intense weather phenomena, floods, heat waves, storms and temperature raise. The policy makers have a role in this. Us, the decision makers need to ensure concrete responses and promotion of research and innovation and sharing of best practices in a way to preserve our heritage sites from climate change, for us and our future generations.

Abstract

My presentation will provide an overview  of the policy framework related to climate change and cultural heritage at UNESCO, with particular emphasis on the challenges that needs to be addressed by UNESCO and its Member States. It will also present the key materials, tools and initiatives that have been developed over the years, notably in the World Heritage context, as well as those that could be undertaken in the future, emphasizing in particular the opportunities associated with the implementation of the Paris Agreement in harnessing the potential of heritage for CC adaptation. Finally, some reflections will be shared on the long-term implications of climate change, in cultural terms, for our societies, and on how this may affect the heritage sector.

Abstract

Historic Gardens, Parks and artificially composed Landscape are very specific fragile ”Green Monuments”.

The impact of climate changes is evident in many aspects and terms of manifestations of excessive drought and slow global warming with a direct impact on groundwater levels.

Through the all levels of protection, we realized very deteriorated health condition of trees, which has a strong influence on the composition of the green monuments.

The trees are gradually drying out and later dying or they are attacked by the various insects (wood-destroying), eventually by fungal diseases. Vast areas of woods and parks are infected and have to be cut down (some examples from our territory will be demonstrate/presented).

In my lecture I’ll concentrate to the most important problems of the monument protection like:

• Forms and methods of preservation and presentation of green monuments affected by climate changes

• Necessity to keep water in the landscape, renew the original retention reservoirs, historical ponds, sewers and complete the renewal of water management systems.
• Planning and working on the possibilities of rainwater retention with the use of modern elements.

On all these tasks we are closely cooperating with ministry of agriculture, environment, social affairs, as well as transportation. As the most important and crucial aim we consider the moment how to retain rain water in cultural landscape.

Abstract

Mobilizing the cultural heritage sector for climate action:  an introduction to the ICOMOS Climate Change and Heritage Working Group”.

In December 2017, the Triennial ICOMOS General Assembly meeting in New Delhi, India adopted Resolution 19GA 2017/30 entitled “Mobilizing ICOMOS and the Cultural Heritage Community To Help Meet the Challenge of Climate Change.”  The CCHWG was formed to advance the Resolution’s ambitious mandate.  The Group is currently working on a variety of initiatives around the world in line with ICOMOS’s view that heritage sites as well as local communities' intangible heritage, knowledge and practices constitute an invaluable repository of information and strategies to address climate change, even while those resources are themselves at risk from climate impacts.”

Abstract

Chief Architect (Built Heritage)
Indigenous Affairs and Cultural Heritage Directorate
Parks Canada  /  Government of Canada

Finding feasible and effective climate change adaptation measures for national historic sites managed by Parks Canada.

Parks Canada is mandated to protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada's natural and cultural heritage, including 171 national historic sites across the country located in vastly different geographic settings and climatic zones. Parks Canada is increasingly having to deal with the effects of climate change at its sites, including (but not limited to) increased wildfire, permafrost thaw, sea level rise, extreme temperatures and windstorms, and sustained heavy rainfall and flooding. Mr. Scarlett’s presentation will share Parks Canada’s current approach to identifying climate change vulnerabilities and risks at its heritage places, and its work to find feasible and effective adaptation measures to face climate change. The presentation will reference the findings of climate change adaptation workshops Parks Canada has held across the country - from Newfoundland to the Yukon Territory - and the tools and processes it is using to develop ‘best practices’ for responding to climate change at heritage places.

Abstract

Due to climate change and temperature increase a variable environmental impact is experienced by artistic and historical structures. Especially relative humidity (RH) fluctuations are known to affect the equilibrium moisture content of materials forcing them to a constant displacement in an effort to reach or keep in equilibrium with surrounding environment. Each change to maintain equilibrium leads to transient structural distortion. In controlled environments, for example Museums, maintaining equilibrium ranges in values usually within the safe distortion limits. Repeated deformation within the distortion limits causes a slow but steady ageing, while the off-limits distortion can jeopardise structural integrity and lead to irreversible damage. The persistent effort of materials to maintain equilibrium may endanger structural integrity and lead to irreversible damage even within assumed safety limits.

A preventive strategy for preserving cultural heritage from climate impact should be based on measures to monitor, assess and predict the critical phases of deterioration, whether within or outside the safe boundaries, to take timely measures that prevent further structural deterioration and lead to irreversible wear and tear. In preventive conservation implementing measures that could foresee in advance the turn of critical phases of deterioration and prevent further deterioration and fracture is thus becoming a necessary step.

The direct quantitative monitoring of surfaces has been experimentally tested and a feasible way of understanding the climate impact from objects reactions has been confirmed. A portable system based on remote real-time high-information content coherent interferometry has been developed to allow the automatic and remote acquisition of sequential high-resolution full-field surface images by recording the surface deformation changes on hygroscopic materials used in cultural heritage during cycles of induced RH changes. Deformation as a respond to RH change provides a risk index termed deformation threshold. Depending on material parameters the deformation threshold differ significantly allowing thus a classification of environmental risk according to deformation threshold of material at risk. The material responds immediately to RH change depending on specific parameters and age. The deformation threshold differs accordingly.

The remote monitoring of reactions with a classified index of deformation threshold to characterise environmental risk it was firstly developed in the experimental workpackage of Climate for Culture European project (FP7-ENV-2008-1 CfC no. 226973). It allowed the development of a preventive methodology assessed through threshold violation recorded directly from surface responses. Indication of the natural onset of deterioration was traced long before visible damage, allowing thus potential preventive measures to be taken in advance.

An ongoing study (in cooperation with C2RMF and Louvre Museum) aims to certify the altered deformation threshold values as reference values prior to the onset of deterioration; and classify the warning signal of deformation threshold in regards to risk urgency.

Abstract

Europe has a significant cultural diversity together with exceptional ancient architectures attracting millions of tourists every year. This incalculable value and global assets have to be preserved for future generations. The effects of floods, extreme wind, storms, rains on these ancient and fragile assets are seriously amplified. Advanced techniques, commonly used for modern structures, cannot be applied to preserve their originality. To preserve ancient valuable structures, dedicated technique, material and methodologies have to be applied. In order to address all the above challenges, the concept underpinning HERACLES project is to propose a holistic, multidisciplinary and multi-sectorial approach with the aim to provide an operative system and eco-solutions to innovate and to promote a strategy and vision of the future of the CH resilience. The HERACLES vision is tested in Greece and in Italy.

Abstract

Firstly, I will start by giving the audience an overview of the global climate change, mentioning the importance of adopting a more realistic view of the problem. Next, I will give information about the climate change in Brazil and the future scenarios from the Brazilian Model of Climate Changes, mentioning the current risks to its cultural and natural heritage, caused by urban expansion, the advance of the agricultural frontier, and also the growth in tourism. Then, I will also discuss future risks such as the rise of sea level in coastal cities, the Amazon forest turning into a savanna, and the significant loss in biodiversity of the South Atlantic Ocean islands. Furthermore, I will tackle the challenges of political actions regarding the control of these risks, which involve social participation, both in terms of recognizing the global climate changes, and facing the risks to the cultural and natural heritage.

Abstract

Climate change is a phenomenon that has been happening through the ages. Archaeological evidence indeed supports the existence of multiple periods of climate change, some of which were partly induced by humans. Global warming is however a particularly worrying and acute phenomenon with multiple repercussions on cultural heritage world wide. It is important however to be realistic and accept that the heritage world can do very little other than raise awareness to prevent global warming. What it can do is work to mitigate its effects. The Heritage Management Organization has a set of advice for heritage managers that have been distilled from its decade long scientific experience on the topic.

Abstract

Délos : un ensemble immobilier menacé par le changement climatique Par Demetrios Athanasoulis, Alexandre Farnoux et le comité franco-grec de Délos Résumé Explorée depuis 1873, l’île de Délos constitue aujourd’hui un des exemples les plus complets de l’architecture grecque antique, avec le sanctuaire d’Apollon, la ville et le port. Cet ensemble est menacé depuis quelques années par le changement climatique : des intempéries plus nombreuses avec de fortes pluies et des vents violents et l’augmentation du niveau de la mer causent des dégâts sur les vestiges. Le comité franco-grec créé en 2015 a entrepris un certain nombre d’opérations pour faire face à ces menaces nouvelles.

Abstract

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Abstract

Amplification - small changes in climate that have large impacts on heritage

Peter Brimblecombe, School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong

In the last 10 years our understanding of climate change has improved through the availability of higher resolution climate models, both in the temporal and spatial domain. Temperature is generally well predicted as is absolute humidity, but there are greater difficulties with rainfall which may be strongly influenced by storm tracks and related synoptic issues. Nevertheless there is now a better understanding of the way in which small changes in climate may cause large changes in the rate of damage to heritage materials and wider effects of the appreciation of cultural sites. Amplification can occur though changes in phase or the mediation of biological processes. In this presentation output from climate models and recent meteorological observations will be compared with evidence of broader environmental change, rates of damage and shifts in seasonality. These which provide hints that some changes in the impact of shifts in climate on heritage can already be observed.