Climate change is increasing the number of disasters and their devastating impacts on lives, properties, livelihoods and cultural heritage. The likelihood of increased weather extremes such as heavy downpours, heat waves, and strong hurricanes and cyclones therefore gives great concern that the number or scale of weather-related disasters will also increase putting heritage at greater risk than ever before. Moreover, greater variability in temperature and precipitation due to climate change is also posing challenges for the conservation of historic built fabric. This necessitates transformative change through bold decisions for transition to a carbon neutral and resilient world that can sustain heritage for future generations, and at the same time considering radical changes in conservation and management practices to adapt to changing environmental context. The webinar aims at discussing specific actions that we must take at national and site levels to enable such a change.

Moderators

• Rohit Jigyasu, ICCROM

Panelists

• Ali Raza, Global Coordinator Adaptation and DRR/Senior Advisor Resilience, IUCN
• Johanna Leissner, Chair EU OMC Group Strengthening Cultural Heritage Resilience for Climate Change, German Research Alliance Cultural Heritage, Fraunhofer Sustainability Network
• Peter Cox, Conservation scientist, founding member of Carrig Conservation International Limited and member of ICOMOS Ireland
• Cesar Bita, Underwater and Marine Cultural Heritage Research Scientist, Head Department of Coastal Archaeology, National Museums of Kenya
• Witiya Pittungnapoo, Assoc. Prof. of Faculty of Architecture, Art and Design at Naresuan University. Director of Climate Change Adaptation for Cultural Heritage Preservation and co-focal point of Sukhothai UCCN, Thailand
• Jothiganesh Shanmugasundaram, Regional Technical Lead for Climate and Weather related Risk and PRISM Institute, World Food Programme, Regional Bureau Bangkok
• William Megarry, ICOMOS Focal Point for Climate Change and Cultural Heritage and Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at Queen’s University Belfast