Living heritage in a changing climate: challenges, solutions and opportunities

This paper will discuss the important topics of climate change and living heritage. This is a very relevant and timely subject. When delivered in October 2021, the leaders of nearly 200 countries were meeting in Glasgow for the 26th conference of parties (COP) where they will attempt to find consensus on meaningful climate action. Since then, the 27th COP has met and concluded in Egypt. It can be hard not to be somewhat skeptical about what are achieved at these events as discussions are increasing focused on what richer countries must sacrifice. But like many others who heard world leaders from the global south and small island developing states (SIDS), it was hard not to be moved by their lived experience of climate change and its impacts on daily life in many parts of the world. Many of these responses did not refer to economic impacts or nationally defined contributions. Rather, they focused on the loss of identity and culture as people’s homes are inundated by rising waters. Places which anchor them to this planet, ironically being set afloat. And so, culture is at the heart of this topic and living culture and this paper will explore some of the ways it intersects with the climate crisis. The symposium is exploring how climate change will affect understanding, assessing and managing places directly or tangibly associated with events, or living traditions with ideas or beliefs and artistic and literary works? This relates to the operational guidelines of the World Heritage Convention which describes these as being directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance.