Cultural heritage and risk assessments: Gaps, challenges, and future research directions for the inclusion of heritage within climate change adaptation and disaster management

Abstract

Cultural heritage shapes our identity, delivers capacities, and exposes vulnerabilities, yet cultural heritage value and vulnerability are largely missing from conventional risk assessments. Risk assessments are a fundamental first step in identifying effective mechanisms for Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and disaster management. However, by ignoring the influence of heritage, decision makers are limiting their understanding of risk and therefore opportunities vital for building and maintaining local resilience. We present findings from a synthesis of peer‐reviewed literature from the last 15 years on cultural heritage risk assessment for primarily CCA but with wider implications for disaster management. We identify a significant lack of research examining intangible aspects of heritage and their influence on risk and resilience. Across the literature, risk assessments focus largely on exposure in isolation from vulnerability or adaptive capacity and where vulnerability is included there is no consistent definition or criterion. We highlight that the most frequently used methods have minimal engagement with local community values, experience, and knowledge relating to heritage practice and customs. Community engagement is most often associated with ‘professional experts’ rather than members of a local community. Furthermore, the Global South is severely under‐represented with a research bias towards Europe and North America. We recommend an agile approach to future assessments with the adjustment of risk tool research and development to include participatory approaches. Future climate risk frameworks must incorporate community‐scale values to understand the role of cultural heritage in relation to adaptive capacity, vulnerability, and resilience.

Climate Risk Management in Cultural Heritage for Inclusive Adaptation Actions in Nigeria

“…CVI also addresses the vulnerability of heritage to climate risks but not the likelihood of the risks occurring. Crowley et al [50] advise the adoption of a climate risk assessment method that allows active participation of local community members to address the top-down approaches that are prevalent in managing climate risks to heritage. These characteristics of ABCCH made it ideal for the current study, enabling maximum inclusion and active participation of non-climate experts and members of local communities in all phases of the process, i.e., from the planning to the monitoring and evaluation phases.…”

The place of social transformation analysis in vulnerability assessment for climate adaptation planning in Upper West Region, Ghana: A review synthesis

“…For instance, the study by Lawson et al (2020) shows that, in the Lawra and Nandom districts of UWR, socio-economic status and decision-making power influence the vulnerability of households to the impacts of climate change. Moreover, the cultural factors intersect with climate vulnerabilities and have implications for climate action (Crowley et al, 2022). Dakurah (2018) reported that farmers in Northern Ghana still cultivate a traditional variety of groundnut (dagarasinkaa), even though it has low yields, and less market value compared to the hybrid variety.…”

Impact of land use changes on the tsunami hazards in part of coastal Kebumen

“…However, based on the results of an interview with one of the informants in the field, it is known that business actors and the local government have agreed on the area for the development of shrimp ponds and the chicken-trading industry to be allocated in the south side of JJLS. The results of community participation and agreement can be used to compile land use arrangements to reduce disaster risk [56]. Open shrimp ponds would be better devel-oped with the concept of side-by-side with forestry/plantation plants (silvofishery) as a tsunami mitigation strategy [43].…”