Understanding the impacts of climate change on cultural heritage buildings: a case of York, UK

Cultural heritage is not only an important part of a country’s identity but also a key driver of tourism (which can play an important role in a nation’s economic and social resilience). However worldwide heritage buildings are gradually becoming more vulnerable, due to natural decay and deterioration, effects of climate change, and human-induced impacts, such as poor or ineffective maintenance. An increased number of extreme weather events, many of which are associated with the impacts of climate change, are posing significant problems in managing and conserving cultural heritage around the globe. Being exposed to a number of natural hazards and having a great cultural heritage, York (UK) presents a case study that provides the basis for the exploration of the strategies required for the improved disaster risk management of vulnerable heritage buildings. Through the engagement with practitioners responsible for the management of a range of heritage sites, this paper identifies the challenges faced when considering climate change adaptation measures. It argues that improved climate change adaptation and enhanced hazard mitigation strategies, involving a broad range of suitably trained stakeholders, are extremely important considerations when it comes to the assessment, maintenance and conservation of cultural heritage

Integrating disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation into the built environment

Recent disasters across the world have highlighted the fragility of the built environment to a range of natural hazards, including those that may be influenced by climate change. Moreover the rapid pace of urbanisation has increased concerns about the resilience of cities; with contemporary discussions considering how physical/protective interventions can be integrated into the built environment or, indeed, what types of interventions are most effective. Too often Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaption (CCA) have been treated as separate issues. Despite a shift to more pro-active and pre-emptive approaches to managing disaster risk, DRR appears to have been overly influenced by more reactive emergency management practices. At the same time, CCA activities have typically fallen within the realm of environmental sciences. As a result there appears to be critical disconnects between policies for CCA and DRR; often centered in different departments with little or no coordination. Moreover, there is a lack of integration of these policies within building regulations; the scope of which is largely limited to rigid restrictions in height and volume and specifications of materials and technology. Most often these building regulations are focused on the mitigation of a single hazard such as earthquakes, floods or cyclones. This opinion paper will highlight the lack of integration between DRR and CCA in built environment related policies and regulations, and demonstrate how policy and regulations can be used to make DRR including CCA inputs from key built environment stakeholders more proactive and thus more effective

Dealing with multiple hazards and threats on cultural heritage sites: An assessment of 80 case studies

Purpose: Cultural heritage (CH) sites are not only important components of a country’s identity but can also be important drivers of tourism. However, an increasing number of extreme events associated with the impacts of climate change, natural hazards and human-induced threats are posing significant problems in conserving and managing cultural heritage worldwide. Consequently, improved climate change adaptation and enhanced hazard/threat mitigation strategies have become critical (but to-date under researched) considerations. This paper aims to identify the key hazards and threats to cultural heritage sites, the most common types of risks to CH and the strategies being adopted to mitigate or even eradicate those risks. Design/methodology: This paper reviews 80 CH case studies from around the world, which have been presented at a UNESCO International Training Course between 2006-2016. The case studies cover 45 different countries and provide practical insights into the key challenges being encountered in a variety of ‘at risk’ locations. Findings: The analysis assesses the key natural hazards and human-induced threats to the sites, an overview of the typical impacts to the tangible components of heritage and identifies the types of strategies being adopted to mitigate the risks, some of which could be transferred across cultural and geographical contexts. Originality: The paper provides a wealth of useful information related to how challenges faced by CH sites might be addressed in the futur

Integrating disaster risk reduction including climate change adaptation into the delivery and management of the built environmentagement of the built environment

Integrating disaster risk reduction including climate change adaptation into the delivery and management of the built environmentagement of the built environmen