ANNUAL CONGRESS 2025

Assessing Potential Impacts of Climate Change on South Korea's Wooden Cultural Heritage: Flood and Wind Hazards, and Landslides

Not scheduled

20m

Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul

Oral Track 05 | ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE

Speaker

Jeong min Lee (Pusan National University)

Description

Climate change increasingly threatens cultural heritage worldwide, posing significant risks to its preservation and sustainability. This study explores the potential impacts, a critical stage in the vulnerability assessment framework outlined by the IPCC, on South Korea’s wooden cultural heritage. Most of South Korea’s cultural heritage sites are wooden structures, making them particularly vulnerable to environmental changes. Furthermore, recent disaster reports indicate that flood and wind hazards account for the majority of damage to these sites. It examines both primary hazards, such as floods and windstorms, and secondary risks, including landslides triggered by extreme weather events.

By mapping risk levels across South Korea, the analysis identifies high-risk areas and highlights specific cultural heritage sites most susceptible to these hazards. Indicators derived from prior studies were systematically analyzed and weighted using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), ensuring a robust approach to vulnerability assessment. This methodology enables the identification of spatial patterns of vulnerability, offering insights into areas requiring immediate intervention.

The findings underscore the need for adaptive strategies to protect South Korea’s wooden cultural heritage, including disaster preparedness, structural resilience through conservation techniques, and climate adaptation in heritage policies. Efficient resource allocation should prioritize high-risk regions and culturally significant sites.

This work not only contributes to the global discourse on climate change and cultural heritage but also provides a localized framework for assessing and mitigating risks to wooden cultural heritage in South Korea. It emphasizes the importance of proactive measures to safeguard these invaluable assets for future generations.