Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Are cultural heritage and resources threatened by climate change? A systematic literature review

Climatic Change Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Climate change poses serious threats to the protection and preservation of cultural heritage and resources. Despite a high level of scholarly interest in climate change impacts on natural and socio-economic systems, a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of climate change on cultural heritage and resources across various continents and disciplines is noticeably absent from the literature. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic literature review methodology to identify and characterize the state of knowledge and how the cultural heritage and resources at risk from climate change are being explored globally. Results from 124 reviewed publications show that scholarly interest in the topic is increasing, employs a wide range of research methods, and represents diverse natural and social science disciplines. Despite such increasing and diverse interest in climate change and cultural heritage and resources, the geographic scope of research is limited (predominantly European focused). Additionally, we identified the need for future studies that not only focuses on efficient, sustainable adaptation planning options but also documents if, and how, the implementation of cultural heritage and resources adaptation or preservation is taking place. This systematic literature review can help direct scholarly research in climate change and cultural heritage and resource area. Ultimately, we hope these new directions can influence policy-making for preservation and adaptation of cultural heritage and cultural resources globally.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

References

  • Beniston M (2008) Sustainability of the landscape of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Lake Geneva region (Switzerland) in a greenhouse climate. Int J Climatol 28:1519–1524

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bernikola E, Tornari V, Nevin A, Kouloumpi E (2008) Monitoring of changes in the surface movement of model panel paintings following fluctuations in relative humidity: preliminary results using digital holographic speckle pattern interferometry. In: Lasers in the Conservation of Artworks: proceedings of the international conference LACONA VI I, Madrid, Spain, 17–21 September 2007, pp 393–397

    Google Scholar 

  • Bertolin C, Camuffo D, Bighignoli I (2015) Past reconstruction and future forecast of domains of indoor relative humidity fluctuations calculated according to EN 15757:2010. Energ Build 102:197–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bigaran F, Mazzola A, Stefani A (2013) Enhancing territorial capital for developing mountain areas: the example of Trentino and its use of medicinal and aromatic plants. Acta Geogr Slov 53(2):380–391

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blankholm HP (2009) Long-Term research and cultural resource management strategies in light of climate change and human impact. Arct Anthropol 46(1–2):17–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonazza A, Messina P, Sabbioni C, Grossi CM, Brimblecombe P (2009) Mapping the impact of climate change on surface recession of carbonate buildings in Europe. Sci Total Environ 407:2039–2050

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brabec E, Chilton E (2015) Toward an ecology of cultural heritage. Chang Over Time Int J Conserv Built Environ 5(2):266–285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bratasz Ł, Harris I, Lasyka Ł, Łukomskia M, Kozłowsk R (2012) Future climate-induced pressures on painted wood. J Cult Herit 13:365–370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Breen C (2007) Advocacy, international development and world heritage sites in Sub-Saharan Africa. World Archaeol 39(3):355–370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brimblecombe P, Grossi CM, Harris I (2011) Climate change critical to cultural heritage. In: Gökçekus H, Türker U, LaMoreaux JV (eds) Survival and sustainability, environmental concerns in the 21st century. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, pp 91–101

    Google Scholar 

  • Carmichael B (2015) Supporting indigenous rangers’ management of climate-change impacts on heritage sites: developing an effective planning tool and assessing its value. Rangel J 37:597–607

    Google Scholar 

  • Colacicchi R, Bizzarri R (2008) Correlation between environmental evolution, historical settlement and cultural heritage upgrading in Valle Umbra (Central Italy). Geogr Fis Din Quat 31:107–118

    Google Scholar 

  • Constantinidis D (2009) GIS for managing the analysis and protection of archaeological remains. Archaeol Ocean 44:112–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corre L, Dandin P, L’Hôte D, Besson F (2015) The VIADUC project innovation in climate adaptation. In: 14th EMS annual meeting & 10th European conference on applied climatology (ECCAC), pp 199–205

  • Crowley P (2011) Interpreting “dangerous” in the United nations framework convention on climate change and the human rights of Inuit. Reg Environ Chang 11(Suppl 1):S265–S274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cumberbatch JA, Hinds CJ (2013) Barbadian bio-cultural heritage: an analysis of the flying fish. Int J Intangible Herit 8:117–134

    Google Scholar 

  • Cutler N, Viles H (2010) Eukaryotic microorganisms and stone biodeterioration. Geomicrobiol J 27(6–7):630–646

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daire MY, Lopez-Romero E, Proust JN, Regnauld H, Pian S, Shi B (2012) Coastal changes and cultural heritage. J Island Coast Archaeol 7(2):168–182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daly C (2014) A framework for assessing the vulnerability of archaeology sites. Conserv Manag Archaeol Sites 16(3):268–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Kock T, Boone M, De Schryver T et al (2015) A pore-scale study of fracture dynamics in rock using X-ray micro-CT under ambient freeze-thaw cycling. Environ Sci Technol 49:2867–2874

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deason G, Seekamp E, Barbieri C (2014) Perceived impacts of climate change, coastal development and policy on oyster harvesting in the Southeastern United States. Mar Policy 50:142–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeSilvey C (2012) Making sense of transience: an anticipatory history. Cult Geogr 19(1):31–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dupont L, Van Eetvelde V (2013) Assessing the potential impacts of climate change on traditional landscapes and their heritage values on the local level: case studies in the Dender basin in Flanders, Belgium. Land Use Policy 35:179–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El Mankibi M, Cantin R, Zoubir A (2015) Contribution to the thermal renovation of old buildings: numerical and experimental approach for characterizing a double window. Energy Procedia 2470–2475

  • Emery McClure U (2015) A conditional preservation for ephemeral sites. Chang Over Time Int J Conserv Built Environ 5(2):286–304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ermine W, Pittman J (2011) Nikan oti (the future) adaptation and adaptive capacity in two first nations communities. In: Filho WL (ed) The economic, social and political elements of climate change. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, pp 69–80

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Gomez-Heras M, Mccabe S (2015) Weathering of stone-built heritage: a lens through which to read the Anthropocene. Anthropocene 11:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gosar A, Cigale D (2015) Trends and characteristics of tourism development in Slovenia. Mitteilungen Der Österreichischen Geographischen Gesellschaft 157:195–228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gridan MR, Brebu FM, Bălă AC (2014) Cultural heritage conserving using terrestrial laser scanning technology. In: 14th SGEM geoconference on informatics, geoinformatics and remote sensing, pp 145–149

  • Grossi CM, Brimblecombe P, Harris I (2007) Predicting long term freeze–thaw risks on Europe built heritage and archaeological sites in a changing climate. Sci Total Environ 377:273–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guido M, Menozzi BI, Bellini C, Placereani S, Montanari C (2013) A palynological contribution to the environmental archaeology of a Mediterranean mountain wetland (North West Apennines, Italy). The Holocene 23(11):1517–1527

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haugen A, Mattsson J (2011) Preparations for climate change’s influences on cultural heritage. Int J Clim Chang Strateg Manag 3(4):386–401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Head L, Atchison J (2015) Governing invasive plants: policy and practice in managing the Gamba grass (Andropogon gayanus) – Bushfire nexus in northern Australia. Land Use Policy 47:225–234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Head L, Adams M, McGregor HV, Toole S (2014) Climate change and Australia. WIREs Clim Chang 5:175–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heckenberger M (2013) Who is Amazonia? The “salt of the matter” for indigenous sustainability. Environ Res Lett 8:1–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heidegger M (1971) Poetry, language, thought. Harper and Row, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Holden LD, Silcock DM, Arrowsmith CA, Al Hassani M (2015) Laser scanning for the documentation and management of heritage sites within the Emirate of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. Arab Archaeol Epigr 26(1):55–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howard AJ (2013) Managing global heritage in the face of future climate change: the importance of understanding geological and geomorphological processes and hazards. Int J Herit Stud 19(7):632–658

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howard AJ, Challis K, Holden J, Kincey M, Passmore DG (2008) The impact of climate change on archaeological resources in Britain: a catchment scale assessment. Clim Chang 91:405–422

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howard AJ, Kincey M, Carey C (2015) Preserving the legacy of historic metal-mining industries in light of the water framework directive and future environmental change in Mainland Britain: challenges for the heritage community. Hist Environ Policy Prac 6(1):3–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huijbregts Z, Kramer RP, Martens MHJ, van Schijndel AWM, Schellen HL (2012) A proposed method to assess the damage risk of future climate change to museum objects in historic buildings. Build Environ 55:43–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (2014) IPCC Fifth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2014, Working Group II: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Kato K (2008) Addressing global responsibility for conservation through cross-cultural collaboration: Kodama Forest, a forest of tree spirits. Environmentalist 28:148–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kincey M, Challis K (2010) Monitoring fragile upland landscapes: the application of airborne lidar. J Nat Conserv 18:126–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knight J, Harrison S (2013) “A land history of men”: the intersection of geomorphology, culture and heritage in Cornwall, southwest England. Appl Geogr 42:186–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuruppu N (2009) Adapting water resources to climate change in Kiribati: the importance of cultural values and meanings. Environ Sci Pol 12:799–809

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lankester P, Brimblecombe P (2012) The impact of future climate on historic interiors. Sci Total Environ 417–418:248–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lavis JN (2009) How can we support the use of systematic reviews in policymaking? PLoS Med 6(11):1–6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leissner J, Kilian R, Kotova L et al (2015) Climate for culture: assessing the impact of climate change on the future indoor climate in historic buildings using simulations. Herit Sci 3(38):1–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Leon JX, Hardcastle J, James R, Albert S, Kereseka J, Woodroffe CD (2015) Supporting local and traditional knowledge with science for adaptation to climate change: lessons learned from participatory three-dimensional modeling in BoeBoe, Solomon Islands. Coast Manag 43(4):424–438

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu F, Zhang Y, Feng Z, Hou G, Zhou Q, Zhang H (2010) The impacts of climate change on the Neolithic cultures of Gansu-Qinghai region during the late Holocene Megathermal. J Geogr Sci 20(3):417–430

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Long C, Smith A (2010) Climate change and heritage responding to the crisis. In: Amoêda R, Lira S, Pinheiro C (eds) Heritage 2010: heritage and sustainable development, Green lines institute for sustainable development, Barcelos, pp 173–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Maio CV, Gontz AM, Tenenbaum DE, Berkland EP (2012) Coastal hazard vulnerability assessment of sensitive historical sites on Rainsford Island, Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. J Coast Res 28(1A):20–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Margottini C (2015) Engineering geology in shaping and preserving the historic urban landscapes and cultural heritage: achievements in UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In: Lollino G et al (eds) Engineering geology for society and territory, vol 8. Springer International Publishing AG, Basel, pp 1–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Marzeion B, Levermann A (2014) Loss of cultural world heritage and currently inhabited places to sea-level rise. Environ Res Lett 9:1–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maus S (2014) Hand in hand against climate change cultural human rights and the protection of cultural heritage. Camb Rev Int Aff 27(4):699–716

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell NJ, Barrett B (2015) Heritage values and agricultural landscapes towards a new synthesis. Landsc Res 40(6):701–716

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohammadi P, Krumbein WE (2008) Biodeterioration of ancient stone materials from the Persepolis monuments (Iran). Aerobiologia 24(1):27–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Momber G (2006) Extracting the cultural heritage: new challenges for the underwater archaeologist. Int J Soc Underw Technol 26(4):105–111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montanarella L, Panagos P (2015) Policy relevance of critical zone science. Land Use Policy 49:86–91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moradi AM, Akhtarkavan M (2008) Adaptation strategy for sustainability of cultural and historical heritage. In: WSEAS international conference on cultural heritage and tourism (CUHT’08), Heraklion, Crete Island, Greece, pp 31–36

  • Morawitz M, Hein N, Alexeenko I, Wilke M, Pedrini G, Krekel C, Osten W (2013) Detection of transport and age induced damages on artwork: an advanced concept. In: Proceedings SPIE 8790, optics for arts, architecture, and archaeology IV, 879004, pp 1–9

  • Morris B (2013) Air today, gone tomorrow: the haar of Scotland and Local Atmosphere as heritage sites. Int J Intangible Herit 8:87–101

    Google Scholar 

  • Nedvědová K, Pergl R (2013) Cultural heritage and flood. In: Central Europe towards sustainable building prague 2013 (CESB13), pp 1–8

  • Nettley A, Desilvey C, Anderson K, Wetherelt A, Caseldine C (2014) Visualising sea-level rise at a coastal heritage site: participatory process and creative communication. Landsc Res 39(6):647–667

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norrström H (2013) Sustainable and balanced energy efficiency and preservation in our built heritage. Sustainability 5:2623–2643

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NPS (2015) NPS-28: cultural resource management guideline. https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/nps28/28appena.htm. Accessed April 14 2016

  • Oakey A (2002) Social science and evidence-based everything: the case of education. Educ Rev 54(3):277–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien G, Okeefe P, Jayawickrama J (2015) Developing a model for building resilience. J Cult Herit Manag Sustain Dev 5(2):99–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pazlar T, Kramar M (2015) Traditional timber structures in extreme weather conditions. Int J Archit Herit 9(6):689–695

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez T, Vacelet J (2014) Effect of climatic and anthropogenic disturbances on sponge fisheries. In: Goffredo S, Dubinsky Z (eds) The Mediterranean sea: its history and present challenges. Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht, pp 577–587

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Petticrew M (2001) Systematic reviews from astronomy to zoology: myths and misconceptions. Brit Med J 322:98–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petticrew M, Roberts H (2006) Systematic reviews in the social sciences: a practical guide. Wiley Blackwell, Oxford

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips H (2014) Adaptation to climate change at UK World Heritage sites: progress and challenges. Hist Environ Policy Pract 5(3):288–299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips H (2015) The capacity to adapt to climate change at heritage sites – The development of a conceptual framework. Environ Sci Pol 47:118–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pollard-Belsheim A, Storey M, Robinson C, Bell T (2014) The CARRA project: developing tools to help heritage managers identify and respond to coastal hazard impacts on archaeological resources. In: 2014 Oceans–St. John’s, pp 1–5

  • Reeder-Myers LA (2015) Cultural heritage at risk in the twenty-first century: a vulnerability assessment of coastal archaeological sites in the United States. J Island Coast Archaeol 10(3):436–445

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rick TC, Sillett TS, Ghalambor CK, Hofman CA, Ralls K (2014) Ecological change on California’s channel islands from the Pleistocene to the Anthropocene. Bioscience 64:680–692

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ronco P, Gallina V, Torresan S, Zabeo A, Semenzin E, Critto A, Marcomini A (2014) The KULTURisk regional risk assessment methodology for water-related natural hazards – part 1: physical–environmental assessment. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 18:5399–5414

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rotherham ID (2015) Bio-cultural heritage and biodiversity: emerging paradigms in conservation and planning. Biodivers Conserv 24:3405–3429

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rovella N, Marabini S, Crisci GM (2014) Stratigraphy and conservation of cultural heritage: the example of rupestrian churches of Cappadocia (Turkey). In: STRATI 2013, First international congress on stratigraphy at the cutting edge of Stratigraphy, pp 315–319

  • Sargent L, Slaton D (2015) Heading into the wind climate chnage and the implications for managing our cultural landscape legacy. Chang Over Time 5(2):200–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarma R (2015) Effects of globalization on the traditional cane and bamboo household objects: a case study on the Nyishi group of arunachal Pradesh. Craft Res 6(1):83–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sassa K, Fukuoka H, Carreno R (2009) Landslide investigation and capacity building in the Machu Picchu — Aguas Calientes area (IPL C101–1). In: Sassa K, Canuti P (eds) Landslides–Disaster risk reduction. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, pp 229–248

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Scotti R, Cadoni M (2007) A historical analysis of traditional common forest planning and management in Seneghe, Sardinia–Lessons for sustainable development. For Ecol Manag 249:116–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Serra-Majem L, Bach-Faig A, Miranda G, Clapes-Badrinas C (2011) Foreword: Mediterranean diet and climatic change. Public Health Nutr 14(12A):2271–2273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith BJ, Gomez-Heras M, McCabe S (2008) Understanding the decay of stone-built cultural heritage. Prog Phys Geogr 32(4):439–461

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith BJ, McCabe S, McAllister D, Adamson C, Viles HA, Curran JM (2011a) A commentary on climate change, stone decay dynamics and the ‘greening’ of natural stone buildings: new perspectives on ‘deep wetting’. Environ Earth Sci 63(7):1691–1700

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith BJ, Srinivasan S, Mccabe S, Mcallister D, Cutler NM, Viles HA (2011b) Climate change and the testing of complex moisture regimes in building stone: preliminary observations on possible strategies. Mater Eval 69(1):48–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith BJ, Pellitero Ondicol R, Alexander G (2011c) Mapping slope instability at the giant’s causeway and causeway coast world heritage site: implications for site management. Geoheritage 3:253–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun Y, Zhou H, Zhang L, Min Q, Yin W (2013) Adapting to droughts in Yuanyang Terrace of SW China: insight from disaster risk reduction. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Chang 18(6):759–771

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas J, Harden A (2008) Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews. BMC Med Res Methodol 8:45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tornari V, Bernikola E, Bellendorf P et al. (2013) Surface monitoring measurements of materials on environmental change conditions. In: Proceedings SPIE 8790, Optics for Arts, Architecture, and Archaeology IV, 87900C, pp 1–14

  • Tornari V, Bernikola E, Tsigarida N, Andrianakis M, Hatzigiannakis K, Leissner J (2015a) Preventive deformation measurements on cultural heritage materials based on non-contact surface response of model samples. Stud Conserv 60(Suppl 1):S143–S158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tornari V, Bernikola E, Tsigarida N, Hatzigiannakis K, Andrianakis M, Leissner J (2015b) Measuring environmental impact by real time laser differential displacement technique in simulated climate conditions. In: SPIE 9527, optics for arts, architecture, and archaeology, pp 95270R1–95270R18

  • Tuan TH, Navrud S (2007) Valuing cultural heritage in developing countries: comparing and pooling contingent valuation and choice modelling estimates. Environ Resour Econ 38:51–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNESCO (1972) Convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage. http://whc.unesco.org/archive/convention-en.pdf. Accessed May 18 2016

  • UNESCO (2003) Convention for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage. http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/convention. Accessed May 18 2016

  • Vallega A (2003) The coastal cultural heritage facing coastal management. J Cult Herit 4:5–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Viles HA, Cutler NA (2012) Global environmental change and the biology of heritage structures. Glob Chang Biol 18(8):2406–2418

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walter RK, Hamilton RJ (2014) A cultural landscape approach to community based conservation in Solomon islands. Ecol Soc 19(4):41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang JJ (2015) Flood risk maps to cultural heritage: measures and process. J Cult Herit 16:210–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • West M, Ellis AT, Potts PJ, Streli C, Vanhoof C, Wegrzynek D, Wobrauschek P (2012) Atomic spectrometry update – X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. J Anal At Spectrom 27:1603–1644

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • West M, Ellis AT, Potts PJ, Streli C, Vanhoof C, Wegrzynek D, Wobrauschek P (2013) 2013 Atomic spectrometry update – A review of advances in X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. J Anal At Spectrom 28:1544–1590

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westley K, McNeary R (2014) Assessing the impact of coastal erosion on archaeological sites: a case study from Northern Ireland. Conserv Manag Archaeol Sites 16(3):185–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westley K, Bell T, Renouf MAP, Tarasov L (2011) Impact assessment of current and future sea-level change on coastal archaeological resources–illustrated examples from Northern Newfoundland. J Island Coast Archaeol 6(2):351–374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woosnam KM, Kim H (2014) Hurricane impacts on southeastern United States coastal national park visitation. Tour Geogr 16(3):364–381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yahr R, Coppins BJ, Ellis CJ (2011) Preserved epiphytes as an archaeological resource in pre-industrial vernacular buildings. J Archaeol Sci 38(6):1191–1198

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sandra Fatorić.

Appendix

Appendix

Table 2 List of the 124 publications considered in systematic literature review

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Fatorić, S., Seekamp, E. Are cultural heritage and resources threatened by climate change? A systematic literature review. Climatic Change 142, 227–254 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-017-1929-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-017-1929-9

Keywords

Navigation