i tidskriften: Realia - papperskonservering.se

The EU project
Climate for Culture
Damage risk assessment, economic impact and
mitigation strategies for sustainable preservation
of cultural heritage in the times of climate change.
A World Heritage Site: The Tower of London, viewed from the SwissRe tower (photo: Wikipedia).
As the leaders of the world were struggling in Copenhagen to reach an
agreement on cutting carbon dioxide emissions, a group of European
researchers started cooperation to assess climate change impacts on
cultural heritage. Effects of climate change on ecosystems and on the
global economy have been researched intensively during the past de-
cades but almost nothing is known about
the possible impact on our cultural heritage.
Within the project Climate for Culture,
researchers are investigating climate change
impacts on UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The project is coordinated by Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics
IBP and aims at assessing the damage risks for historical sites, as well
as developing strategies for long-term preservation and evaluating the
economic consequences.
High resolution climate simulation modelling until 2100 will be coupled
with building simulation software adapted for historic buildings. Results
are expected to give information on the possible impact of climate
change on the built cultural heritage and its indoor environment. The
kick-off meeting with around 100 participants from all over Europe took
place in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich on November 9, 2009.
Several million tourists visit the Cathedral of Cologne each year. The
Tower of London registers millions of visitors every year. These numbers
are rising year by year, but tourism at these World Heritage
Sites is taking its toll. Stampedes of visitors intensely influence indoor
TIDSKRIFT FÖR KONSERVERING
”How can we avoid climate induced
damage at historic buildings which
are non renewable resources?”
21