ELEMENTS FOR A SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE AT RISK IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

In spite of the internationally recognized existing impact of climate change related, hazards on cultural heritage, its protection is still not sufficiently and adequately addressed in national plans for disaster risk reduction and -management. This contribution illustrates the essential approach and methods underlying a Web GIS tool for risk mapping and the transnational strategies addressed to a sustainable management of cultural heritage at risk exposed to extreme events (heavy rain, floods, drought) developed in the Interreg project ProteCHt2save. The outcomes of the project show that the current priority of cultural heritage in risk management planning is still low. Also, in determining the reasons for the still existing gaps in this sector, it was found that the lack of coordination between and across the different strategies of risk management policies in most countries surely has a major impact. In addition, the analysis done evidences the key role of preparedness in the disaster management cycle when dealing with cultural heritage safeguarding.