Preserving Legacies: Publication of 2 New Risk Assessments Reports
The Preserving Legacies team, in collaboration with ICOMOS and local authorities, has published Climate Risk Assessment reports related to the project’s first year primary sites: Petra and the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras.
These reports showcase the results obtained during on-site risk assessments organised by Preserving Legacies. Both reports are available on the ICOMOS Open Archive.
Climate Risk and Resilience in Petra
This report was written in collaboration with the Petra National Trust and the Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority. It stems from a climate risk assessment workshop organised in Petra by Preserving Legacies from March to June 2023, which included a series of 3 community focus groups and a 3-day workshop bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders to identify key values of the heritage site, highlight social and economic vulnerabilities, gauge adaptive capacities, and assess climate impacts and risks.
The report addresses Petra’s climate impacts alongside the different types of risks that they represent for local communities: economic values associated with agriculture and tourism, historical and archaeological values, and values associated with the natural landscape.
Because climate change is the greatest threat to heritage worldwide, the need to develop effective response methods is of utmost importance. This report therefore paves the way for sustainable climate action, ensuring Petra’s preservation for future generations by illustrating a methodology which acknowledges plural values, diverse knowledge systems and existing adaptation efforts. It demonstrates the benefit of engaging local communities in decision making and embeds meaningful and sustainable climate action within these communities.
Climate vulnerability assessment of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras
This report was written in collaboration with the ICOMOS Philippines National Committee and constitutes an in-depth assessment into the climate challenges faced by the iconic Ifugao Rice Terraces. The Rice Terraces are confronted with a series of threats ranging from typhoons to prolonged droughts and rising temperatures. These issues pose imminent risks of soil erosion, reduced crop yields or crop loss, landslides and structural damage to the terraces which threatens the ecological integrity and agricultural productivity of this cultural landscape.
Gathering information from focus group discussions among farmers in Nagacadan Hungduan, Mayoyao, Bangaan, and Batad, the report reflects the lived experiences and needs of the Ifugao people. It highlights the values of the terraces for the local communities and how these values, rooted in indigenous knowledge, are impacted by climate change. The end goal is for communities to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity as they try to preserve and protect their cultural heritage by integrating modern climate science.