Assessing the risks of climate change for cultural heritage – The CLIMASCAPE project

Climate change poses significant and varied risks to Greece's cultural heritage, necessitating tailored adaptation strategies for UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The CLIMASCAPE project identifies differentiated climate impacts—such as heatwaves, floods, droughts, fires, and sea level rise—across eight archaeological sites, including Mystras. Preliminary findings highlight the need for site-specific vulnerability assessments based on projected climate changes and unique site characteristics. The study introduces a multi-criteria methodology to evaluate exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and overall vulnerability, using climate model projections and quantitative data. This approach underscores the urgency of developing localized adaptation plans to safeguard these irreplaceable cultural assets.

Cartalis, C., Polydoros, A., Mavrakou, T., Philippopoulos, K., Asprogerakas, E., Pantazis, P., Samarina, A., Zoumpaki, S., & Karambinis, M. Assessing the risks of climate change for cultural heritage – The CLIMASCAPE project. Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.30955/gnc2021.00767