During the works of the Conference of Parties (COP) 28 on Climate Change (Dubai 2023), it was recognized that culture, from arts to heritage, has a fundamental role to play in helping people to imagine and to realize low carbon, just, climate resilient futures and that culture has unparalleled capacity for enabling a powerfully inclusive response to create the systemic change needed to tackle the climate crisis. Furthermore, it was agreed to protect cultural heritage from the impacts of climate-related risks by developing adaptive strategies for preserving cultural practices and heritage sites and by designing climate-resilient infrastructure, guided by traditional knowledge, Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge and local knowledge systems. Along side, UNESCO has developed a sound program for the protection of cultural heritage from the impacts of climate change, whereas the initiative by UNFCCC-UNESCO-Government of Greece aims at “Addressing climate change impacts on cultural and natural heritage”. All above need to be roll out to measures and policies that may be thereafter applied by the States. The presentation will refer to the assessment of climate drivers, hazards and risks and their impacts on cultural heritage as well as to the new requirements in support of building resilience of cultural heritage – archaeological sites and monuments – to climate change.

Speaker:

Constantinos Cartalis is Professor of Environmental and Climate Science at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Acting member of the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change. He coordinates the project of the Ministry of Culture for the adaption of archaeological sites/monuments to the impacts of climate change. Has acted as UNDP Technical Expert on Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation, member of the United Nations Subsidiary Body for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement and member of the Task Force of the European Union “Strengthening cultural heritage resilience for climate change”.

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