{"id":3183,"date":"2024-04-19T09:05:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T09:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ccgclimat.com\/en\/?p=3183"},"modified":"2024-06-07T17:42:57","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T17:42:57","slug":"cultural-heritage-at-the-heart-of-climate-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ccgclimat.com\/en\/2024\/04\/19\/cultural-heritage-at-the-heart-of-climate-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Culture heritage at the heart of climate action"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Cultural heritage is the shared legacy that connects us to the past and shapes our current identity. It encompasses historical monuments, works of art, and traditions passed down through generations. This precious heritage contributes to tourism, the local economy, knowledge sharing and social inclusion.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

However, climate change now threatens this heritage. <\/span>Extreme weather events, such as storms and floods, endanger many cultural sites worldwide, including in Canada. For example, sites such as the Fortress of Louisbourg<\/a>, on the coast of Nova Scotia, and Prince of Wales Fort<\/a>, in Manitoba, are at risk. The latter, built in the 18th century, is particularly vulnerable to the harsh freeze-thaw cycles, rising temperatures and increased solar radiation that deteriorate the mortar of its walls. In Quebec, coastal erosion and <\/span>submersion<\/span> threaten heritage sites such as cemeteries in the Gasp\u00e9 and the La Grave heritage site<\/a> in the Magdalen Islands. Some properties, such as the Mowatt House, one of the oldest houses in the region, in Maria on the Gasp\u00e9 Peninsula, have to contend with flooding episodes\u00b9<\/a><\/span>. Faced with this reality, it’s imperative to act to protect our heritage. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

International organizations such as UNESCO and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) offer tools to integrate climate risk analysis into cultural heritage preservation. For example, ICCROM’s “Net Zero: Heritage for Climate Action<\/a>” program aims to implement adaptation strategies to reduce the impacts of climate change on heritage\u00b2. In March 2023, CCG participated in the final training of this program.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In Quebec, a recent study conducted by the School of Architecture at the University of Montr\u00e9al, as part of an interinstitutional collaboration between Ouranos and the Ministry of Culture and Communications of Quebec (MCC), has provided an overview of the threats to built cultural heritage due to climate change\u00b3<\/a>. This research relies on public sources available online and in libraries, focusing on information from Quebec ministries involved in climate change mitigation. The identified issues are as follows:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>