Climate change impacts on cultural heritage: Facing the challenge

Professor Konstantinos Aravossis

Professor  Konstantinos Aravossis

The fact that climate change poses a threat to the outstanding universal values of world heritage sites is known from the early 70s and changes in rainfall patterns, humidity, and temperature, as well as greater exposure to severe weather events, has led to the need for adapting cultural heritage to climate change.

However, there is still limited research accomplished to date, on the process of adaptation of cultural heritage to climate change. Greece, being the home of a vast number of archeological museums and sites, took the initiative to convene, few months ago, in June 2019, an International Conference on the “Impacts of Climate Change on Cultural Heritage”.

The concluding main set of strategy actions from UNESCO and other world experts, that participated at this International Conference, will be presented.

Finally, there will be an overview of relative policies and programmes in Greece, designed to prepare the country regarding climate adaptation issues and in particular the cultural heritage protection._