Strengthening cultural heritage resilience for climate change

Description

Climate change is directly and indirectly threatening all forms of cultural heritage. Making cultural heritage fit for climate change while avoiding maladaptation is the monumental challenge of today for all types of cultural heritage, from archaeological sites and built heritage to landscapes and movable heritage.

This report summarises the work of the EU Open Method of Coordination (OMC) group of Member States’ experts on ‘Strengthening cultural heritage resilience for climate change’. It is based on the discussions and information, provided and approved by the members of the OMC expert group, in the meetings during 2021 – 2022, in addition to presentations given by the invited external experts.

In their report, the OMC expert group formulates a set of key recommendations for policy makers, based on their findings:

• Include cultural heritage in all national and EU climate policies and action plans aiming to address mitigation of and adaptation to climate change;
• Call for a permanent European task force on heritage and climate change comprising eminent experts of different relevant disciplines, senior national representatives and representatives of the private sector, with the mandate of providing advice and input for climate protection policies that integrate heritage preservation, a high-quality built environment and biodiversity;
• Appoint a national coordinator for cultural heritage and climate change, and encourage/establish a joint state management related to cultural heritage and climate change;
• Establish a centralised digital information system related to cultural heritage and climate change, which will enable the exchange of new knowledge, data, best practices and strategies. Encourage cross-sectoral coordination to implement cultural heritage into climate change policies at all levels; 
• At national level, establish policies – to be implemented by all relevant stakeholders – aiming to raise awareness; enhance education, research and training; develop assessment reports; and provide cultural heritage climate change risk maps; 
• Establish a permanent European expert group on cultural heritage comprising individuals with various, multidisciplinary backgrounds and invite climate change experts to participate in meetings of the existing EU cultural heritage expert group

Reference information