Climate Information for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage: Needs and Challenges

Abstract

Continued preservation of cultural heritage requires reliable climate information as input for an accurate projection of possible impacts of climate change. Future climate-induced outdoor risks for cultural heritage can in general be estimated from the information provided by Earth System Models (ESMs). In this paper we present the results of the project Climate for Culture. The project focused on damage risk assessment, economic impact and mitigation strategies for sustainable preservation of cultural heritage in times of anthropogenic climate change. We utilized advanced climate modelling techniques with dynamical downscaling and novel analysis methodology allowing better integration of climate information to impact studies on cultural heritage. Challenges of bridging supply and demand of climate information relevant for adaptation measures for the preservation of cultural heritage are also addressed.