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Numerous studies have highlighted the global impacts of climate change on heritage, such as flooding, sea-level rise, and drought (Orr et al., 2021). In urban contexts, heritage encompasses both tangible and intangible elements, such as historic centres and buildings as well as local traditions and expressions (UNESCO, 2017). It is intrinsically linked to values, socio-economic processes, and the Knowledge Systems of Local and Indigenous Communities (LINKS) (Gustafsson & Ripp, 2022; UNESCO, 2023). Urban heritage provides diverse values, serving as a historical baseline for climate impact analysis and fostering social inclusion (Orr et al., 2021). Therefore, it is indispensable to increase the resilience of urban heritage to climate change and reduce its vulnerabilities, i.e., the predisposition of urban heritage to be adversely affected by climate change (Harkin et al., 2019).
Today, several pioneering climate adaptation measures have been implemented for urban heritage in cities, such as Dublin (Ireland), Montreal (Canada), and the Hague (Netherlands) (Orr et al., 2021). Climate adaptation is considered to be a continuous adjustment process to actual or anticipated climate risks on urban heritage, while simultaneously seeking beneficial opportunities (ICOMOS, 2022). As actions are implemented, maladaptation has become increasingly evident at heritage sites (Daly et al., 2021). Maladaptation is understood as the cumulative result of poorly designed adaptation interventions that inadvertently exacerbate urban heritage vulnerabilities (Leissner et al., 2022). It even causes negative consequences more destructive than inaction (Harkin et al., 2019). For instance, in Liverpool, England, an adaptation project aimed at improving the energy efficiency of historic buildings led to a loss in both their structural integrity and historical authenticity (Fluck & Knight, 2022).
Current efforts remain in the preliminary stages of conceptualising maladaptation in an urban heritage context and evaluating its impacts on physical heritage elements, such as historic buildings (Daly et al., 2021). Intangible heritage elements, especially LINKS, are largely overlooked during these assessments. Furthermore, there is an absence of research exploring the various drivers that trigger maladaptation in urban heritage adaptation efforts.
Therefore, this paper aims to reveal the underlying drivers that trigger maladaptation during the implementation of adaptation actions. Based on purposive sampling, 34 urban heritage cases that have implemented climate adaptation actions were selected. Through semi-structured interviews with local practitioners with direct practical experience in both heritage management and adaptation activities, the implemented adaptation actions and their specific levels (from national to site) were summarized. Building on this, the multidimensional drivers of maladaptation were synthesized using the k-means clustering algorithm.
The findings reveal that current urban heritage adaptation interventions are predominantly spontaneous, community-driven actions at the local level. The national-scale, top-down adaptation strategies remain largely at the policy-making stage and rarely demonstrate their intended effectiveness at the local scale. The implemented initiatives have been criticised for their limited contributions to enhancing the adaptation capacities of urban heritage. Instead, these efforts frequently increase the inherent vulnerabilities of urban heritage by redistributing vulnerability from other urban spaces (e.g., affluent residential areas), generating new sources of vulnerability, or even reinforcing pre-existing ones. Furthermore, we identified ten key drivers, such as conflicting priorities and growing economic burdens, spanning four Dimensions (institutional, social, integration, and urgency). They constitute the root causes of maladaptation in urban heritage adaptation efforts.
This research provides valuable insights for ongoing efforts to develop practical indicators under the Global Goal On Adaptation framework, particularly in the categories of heritage preservation and poverty alleviation. Importantly, this research validates the significant roles of a cultural perspective in monitoring and detecting maladaptation, which offers a validated reference for tackling maladaptation effectively worldwide (Reckien et al., 2023).
References
Daly, C., Engel Purcell, C., Donnelly, J., Chan, C., MacDonagh, M., & Cox, P. (2021). Climate change adaptation planning for cultural heritage, a national scale methodology. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, 11(4), 313–329. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCHMSD-04-2020-0053
Fluck, H., & Knight, R. (2022). Climate change adaptation report.
Gustafsson, C., & Ripp, M. (2022). A metamodel for heritage-based urban recovery. Built Heritage, 6(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43238-022-00068-8
Harkin, D., Hyslop, E., Johnson, H., & Tracey, E. (2019). A Guide to Climate Change Impacts on Scotland’s Historic Environment. www.historicenvironment.scot/impacts-guide
ICOMOS. (2022). Climate Change Adaptation Guide.
Leissner, J., Grady, A., Maraña, M., Baeke, F., & van Cutsem, A. (2022). Strengthening cultural heritage resilience for climate change. Publications Office of the European Union.
Orr, S. A., Richards, J., & Fatorić, S. (2021). Climate Change and Cultural Heritage: A Systematic Literature Review (2016–2020). Historic Environment: Policy and Practice, 12(3–4), 434–477. https://doi.org/10.1080/17567505.2021.1957264
UNESCO. (2017). Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. http://whc.unesco.org/en/contacts
UNESCO. (2023). Urban heritage for resilience: consolidated results of the implementation of the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape; 3rd Member States Consultation. https://doi.org/10.58337/CFZO9650
| Keywords | Climate change adaptation; Climate justice; Urban heritage; Maladaptation |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
