Lessons from the Edge: Assessing the impact and efficacy of digital technologies to stress urgency about climate change and cultural heritage globally

Abstract

Between 2018 and 2020, CyArk, Google Arts and Culture and the International Council for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) worked together on the Heritage on the Edge project. Launched on the Google Arts and Culture platform in January 2020, this project utilised a range of techniques to highlight the impacts and local experiences of climate change at five cultural World Heritage Sites in Bangladesh, Peru, Rapa Nui, Scotland and Tanzania. All five sites are experiencing different climate change impacts and each has been responding and adapting to these challenges in unique and locally appropriate ways. The project illustrates both the value of collaboration between different organisations, and the role of this historic environment in climate change communication and public engagement. This paper will introduce the project aims, objectives and methodology with a particular focus on the project review and web analytics for the six-month period following the project launch. Results suggest global meaningful engagement with some considerable gaps especially in low and middle-income countries. It concludes by exploring some useful lessons for future digital projects, exploring ways to increase geographical reach and improve viewer engagement, and to ensure more equitable collaborations with partner sites and countries.

Climate Change and UNESCO World Heritage-Listed Cultural Properties: A Systematic Review, 2008–2021

“…The conceptual articles drew on theoretical or empirical frameworks for managing and conserving cultural WHP, with a focus on, for example, the long-term monitoring of cultural heritage [40], geo-framework management and the prioritisation of cultural heritage [35], landscape-based conservation and monitoring [41], the vulnerability assessment framework [3], resilience and transformation [42], disaster biography [32], and compatibility in World Heritage climate change policy (18). Review articles, on the other hand, contain unsystematic assessments and documentation with a focus on the application of digital technologies for heritage sites in a climate change context [43], and compassion communities [44]. Reviews also paid attention to legislative aspects, such as challenges in existing heritage policy [45] and the role of the World Heritage Convention [46].…”

Vernacular Heritage as a Response to Climate: Lessons for Future Climate Resilience from Rize, Turkey

“…While heritage loss is inevitable and recognized by local communities [39], a great deal of local knowledge regarding the specific context of these heritage sites and their growing transformation may serve as an invaluable source for building climate resiliency [40]. Documentation covering changes in the clime in landscape are often published from the lens of local stakeholders [41] and should not be overlooked when generating knowledge on how to build climate resiliency [42]. Thus, it is particularly important to understand how heritage assets are managed, monitored, and interpreted along with their surroundings [43].…”

The Climate Crisis, Outstanding Universal Value and Change in World Heritage

“…Within the cultural heritage sector, the quantity of papers in high-ranking journals and special editions focused on the subject are increasing, reflecting a growing understanding of the urgency of the climate crisis (Fatorić & Seekamp, 2017;Sesana et al, 2021). There has also been increased public interest, with media attention focused on damage and loss at iconic sites such as Venice and Rapa Nui, and increasing interest and concern about the loss of local heritage (Megarry & Hadick, 2021). These examples emphasise the impacts of climate change on cultural heritage and the immense communicative power of these special places to stress urgency and promote action (Rockman & Maase, 2017).…”