Cultural heritage and climate change
The effects of climate change are also seen in the built environment. The project “Developing methodology for monitoring the effects of climate change on cultural heritage sites“ charts the effects of climate change on cultural heritage. The method will be made publicly available for everyone.
Strong winds become storms, the winter snow turns to rain. While the streets are flooded in one city, another town is going through scorching heat and drought. The effects of climate change are also seen in the built environment. Walls become damp and erode, decomposers break down soggy wood. Our built heritage is also under threat. The project “Developing methodology for monitoring the effects of climate change on cultural heritage sites“ charts the effects of climate change on cultural heritage.
Funding and participants
The project is funded by the Ostrobothnia Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, and it is part of the European Regional Development Fund’s (ERDF) “Innovation and Skills in Finland 2021–2027” programme. The project started in early April in 2024 and will run until March 2027.
The project’s main implementer is the Governing Body of Suomenlinna. Co-implementers include the Alvar Aalto Foundation, The Finnish Heritage Agency and the Oulu School of Architecture. There are also other agencies, researchers and experts involved in the project.
Project Objectives
In the project, the implementers develop a method for monitoring the impacts of climate change at sites of varying types and ages that are also geographically diverse and in different climates. The research sites include buildings constructed using traditional methods and materials as well as modern sandwich structures.
The implementers also gather data and information on how climate change affects buildings and on how built heritage should be managed and repaired as the climate changes. The data and information can be used to protect and repair built cultural heritage in the future.
The project also aims to assemble a network of experts who will identify climate risks and communicate related information during and after the project. The monitoring method will be made publicly available to everyone.
More information
Juha Rajaharju
Specialist
Tel +358 295 338 409, juha.rajaharju@suomenlinna.fi
