This research investigates the assessment of structural stability risks in buildings during natural disasters, with a particular focus on earthquakes, within historical centers. The objective is to create an accessible platform that can predictively create damage maps for blocks of buildings and large structures, enabling the prediction of damage and its impact on Cultural Heritage (CH) stability. The project seeks to generate risk maps for CH, emphasizing predictive damage mapping before natural disaster events occur under a variety of event scenarios. Methodologies have been devised to discern efficient and automated tools for harmonizing data, criteria, and indicators, thereby monitoring the influence of environmental changes on CH assets, encompassing structural stability and deterioration processes. This involves the integration of ground data (e.g., geotechnical and geological information), site-scale monitoring, satellite data (InSAR), and risk forecasting models (seismic models) to produce user-driven products like deformation maps, vulnerability assessments, and damage maps. Using AI-assisted models, the platform aims to enable ongoing inspection and monitoring of Cultural Heritage (CH) buildings for updating the vulnerability assessment.
How to cite: Schetakis, N., Papoutsakis, N., Manataki, M., Papadopoulos, N., Stavroulakis, G. E., and Di Iorio, A.: Leveraging AI for Automated Structural Stability Risk Assessment in Historical Centers, 18th Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Risks, Chania, Greece, 30 Sep–3 Oct 2024, Plinius18-27, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-plinius18-27, 2024.
In a landscape where Climate Change induced threats intensify and entire regions are endangered, the hazards posed to Cultural Heritage sites increase. These include sea level rising, rotation of extreme weather events and environmental degradation, which significantly jeopardize the protection and preservation of these sites.
TRIQUETRA aims to tackle these issues through accomplishing a series of strategic objectives such as developing a comprehensive repository of knowledge about the impacts of Climate Change on Cultural Heritage, while also using cutting-edge technologies for precise and effective risk quantification.
The TRIQUETRA EU research project is focused on developing an evidence-based assessment platform that serves as a Decision Support System for risk assessment. This platform is designed to improve the effectiveness of risk mitigation and site remediation activities. Overall, the strategy followed within the TRIQUETRA project is structured around three key elements: (i) Risk Identification, (ii) Risk Quantification and (iii) Risk Mitigation.
To validate these approaches, TRIQUETRA is implemented in eight different CH sties across Europe, five of which are located in the broad Mediterranean region, such as Choirokoitia in Cyprus, Aegina, Epidaurus and Kalapodi in Greece and Ventotene in Italy.
Key outcomes of the project include a novel risk quantification framework, an enhanced knowledge base platform, a decision support system equipped with tools for assessing risk severity, selecting and optimizing mitigation measures, new protective materials, an innovative flash LiDAR system, water quality analysers and a framework for digitising CH sites.
How to cite: Anastasiou, A., Ioannidis, C., Spyrakos, C., Verykokou, S., Istrati, D., Sarris, A., Martino, S., Themistocleous, K., Hadjimitsis, D., Feidas, H., Zanis, P., Tokmakidis, K., Bilis, T., Spyropoulou, S., Kounnou, C., Georgiadis, P., and Charalampopoulou, V. (.: TRIQUETRA project: The Mediterranean sites , 18th Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Risks, Chania, Greece, 30 Sep–3 Oct 2024, Plinius18-48, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-plinius18-48, 2024.
This paper presents a comprehensive methodology for assessing the vulnerability of cultural heritage sites in Greece to climate change. By proposing a multi-criteria system that evaluates exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, the study aims to safeguard Greece's cultural capital and ensure the sustainability of its tourism industry. Utilizing climate model projections, the research identifies potential risks such as heatwaves, floods, droughts, fires, and sea level rise for selected UNESCO archaeological sites and assesses their vulnerability. The study leads to differentiated adaptation plans for every archaeological site based on the climate projections regarding the impacts of climate change and the specific characteristics of each site.
How to cite: Polydoros, A., Cartalis, C., Mavrakou, T., and Philippopoulos, K.: Assessing the risks of climate change for cultural heritage, 18th Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Risks, Chania, Greece, 30 Sep–3 Oct 2024, Plinius18-86, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-plinius18-86, 2024.
A changing climate significantly impacts the preservation of cultural heritage both outdoors and indoors. In the case of cultural collections preserved indoors, buildings play a key role in buffering the short-term outdoor climate fluctuations, being still heavily influenced by long-term outdoor climate trends. This makes indoor climate control challenging, especially when stable indoor temperature and relative humidity conditions should be kept preserving climate-vulnerable materials (e.g., polymeric-based materials). In the last decades, this approach is becoming increasingly unsustainable due to the extensive use of air conditioning systems, which contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases. This study examines the potential challenges in indoor climate control in the Mediterranean cinematographic archives -preserving cellulose acetate motion picture films- under the intermediate Shared Socio-economic Pathways climate scenario (SSP2-4.5). The analysis employs the "degree-days" index, using temperature thresholds recommended by standards to limit climate-induced degradation in cinematographic collections. The expected increase of the outdoor temperatures will be responsible for a significant increase in the cooling degree days with a different extent throughout Mediterranean countries. This will make more challenging the preservation of cinematographic collections as they are highly vulnerable to temperature greater that 15°C. These findings can support strategies to adapt to predicted warming by fine-tuning indoor climate control to preserve collections while enhancing energy efficiency. This may lead to the construction of new more-efficient cinematographic archives in climate resilient areas and to the development of new standards incorporating future climate projections and adaptation measures.
How to cite: Frasca, F., Vergelli, L., Bertolin, C., and Siani, A. M.: The impact of changing climate on the preservation of Mediterranean cinematographic archives, 18th Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Risks, Chania, Greece, 30 Sep–3 Oct 2024, Plinius18-101, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-plinius18-101, 2024.
The landscape, as a comprehensive entity encompassing diverse ecosystems, cultural values, aesthetic qualities, and geological features, is integral to the concept of natural heritage. Climate change poses a substantial threat to landscapes. The impacts are multifaceted, affecting not only the ecological integrity of these areas but also their cultural significance and the livelihoods of people who depend on them. Efforts to mitigate climate change and adapt to its effects are crucial to preserving valuable landscapes for future generations.
TOPIO project aims to contribute to addressing these issues by developing a holistic methodology where Citizen Science, Policy Outreach, Artificial Intelligence and Public Participatory GIS approaches, with the aid of Earth Observation, Digital Twins and Geoinformatics, will find common ground in order to involve both scientists and citizens in a “bottom-up” participatory and creative initiative for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention (ELC) in different areas of Europe. In this framework, TOPIO will prepare a landscape guide inspired by the ELC, initially focused on seven study areas across Europe. The identified topics will address urgent issues impacting the evolution of landscapes, focusing, among others, on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
A Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) covering the study areas will also be conducted based on public participation. The aim is to increase citizen awareness of landscape policies and involve society in safeguarding landscape heritage from the impacts of climate change. Furthermore, the LCA can serve as a tool for local and regional authorities to assess and manage climate-related risks.
How to cite: Alexakis, D., Lampropoulos, G., Eetvelde, V. V., Ramos, I. L., Prados Velasco, M. J., Charalampopoulou, B. (., Tzortzi, N., Cambria, V. E., Sykas, D., Georgiadis, C., Martins, R., Mussachio, C., Papadima, A., Cuccaro, V., and Spyropoulos, A.: TOPIO project: Safeguarding the landscape heritage from climate change impact through Landscape Character Assessment and Public Participation, 18th Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Risks, Chania, Greece, 30 Sep–3 Oct 2024, Plinius18-130, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-plinius18-130, 2024.
Protecting cultural heritage from the impacts of climate-related risks requires the development of adaptive strategies that take note of (a) the climate hazards (forest fires, droughts, floods, heat waves, sea level rise) that are associated to the landscape where an archaeological site/monument is located (b) the strong variation in climate vulnerability by location (c) the socio-economic changes that may impact the communities which support the conservation of cultural heritage and (d) local knowledge and traditions. The paper presents a novel methodology based on the interplay of "exposure-sensitivity-vulnerability-risk" for strengtening resilience of cultural heritage to the impacts of climate change; the methodology is based on such parameters as exposure, sensitivity and vulnerability, it considers landscape characteristics, takes note of climate estimates for the future climate period and finally delivers site dependent adaptation plans to climate change. The methodology is rolled out in the framework of the policy of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture for the protection of archaeological sites from the impacts of climate change. The methodology as well as results for selected archaeological sites will be presented along with a discussion on the environmental, social and governance criteria for the implementation of the adaptation plans.
How to cite: Cartalis, C., Kountouri, E., Zoumpaki, S., Kotroni, V., Benissi, K., Lekkas, E., Lagouvardos, K., Spyropoulou, S., Kokkoni, M., Polydoros, A., and Giannaros, T.: A novel methodology for strengthening resilience of cultural heritage to the impacts of climate change - application for archaeological sites and monuments in Greece, 18th Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Risks, Chania, Greece, 30 Sep–3 Oct 2024, Plinius18-138, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-plinius18-138, 2024.
The present research illustrates the methodological approach and the results achieved so far concerning the risk assessment of cultural heritage towards climate change impact in the framework of the “Extraordinary National plan for monitoring and conservation of Italian cultural heritage”. This initiative, coordinated by the Italian Ministry of Culture - General Directorate for the Safety of Cultural Heritage, aims at the safeguarding of cultural and natural heritage from diverse natural and human-made hazard, including climate-induced extreme events (heavy rain, floods and drought).
The methodological approach implemented foresees:
- Identification of climate and pollution parameters with priority in causing impacts on cultural heritage.
- Selection and application of appropriate damage functions and climate extreme indices.
- Development of projections of hazard at territorial level by using regional and climate models from the EURO-CORDEX experiment.
- Hazard analysis by exploiting the Copernicus services CAMS (Atmosphere Monitoring) and C3S (Climate Change) and purposely elaborated data form air quality monitoring stations.
- Application of the methodology for vulnerability assessment of cultural and natural heritage set up in the framework of the Interreg Central EU Project STRENCH.
- Testing and validation of the methods and approaches at selected Italian case studies, among them the historic center of Florence and the terraced landscape in the Archipelago of Aeolian Islands.
- Integration of the obtained data and results in the existing territorial information systems and repositories of the Ministry (e.g. Carta del Rischio and SecurArt projects).
The final aim of the research is to support the Public Authorities at National and local level in the management of cultural heritage at risk, by also supporting them in putting forward recommendations for the integration of measures dedicated of the protection of cultural heritage in the national plans of disaster risk reduction and climate change mitigation.
How to cite: Sardella, A., Canesi, L., Calidonna, C. R., Cattani, E., Camuffo, D., Cacace, C., Iannelli, P., and Bonazza, A.: Risk assessment of Italian cultural and natural heritage in a climate change environment, 18th Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Risks, Chania, Greece, 30 Sep–3 Oct 2024, Plinius18-103, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-plinius18-103, 2024.
The Mediterranean basin is affected by extreme weather phenomena that are increasing in frequency and intensity. To the effects of these climate changes a broad response must be provided by the population, structures and infrastructure involved. Affecting a wide variety of issues, this increase therefore requires an interdisciplinary assessment of impacts (economic, social and environmental). In fact, climate change and land use are the main drivers of environmental and socioeconomic transformations of landscapes and coastal areas.
This study presents an interdisciplinary and participatory research methodology that analysed a coastal case study, the Trabocchi Coast (Abruzzo Region, Italy) characterized by a typical kind of vernacular architecture, the "trabocchi", increasingly threatened by climate change. The objective of the study was to assess the resilience of these coastal structures, "fishing machines" identified by the community as intangible cultural heritage, meaning their ability to cope with and adapt to changes while maintaining their identity and recognisability.
The adopted approach combined quantitative and qualitative data from meteorological analysis, literature review, and field surveys. The investigation of specific weather events was conducted considering both large-scale long-term analysis (using the ERA5 dataset) and small-scale short-term analysis (models and ground-based sensors). A participatory workshop with the population was organized by the authors at the Municipality of San Vito Chietino with the support of the Municipality itself, from which a significant part of the results emerged. The latter provided an overview of the relevant phenomena that have occurred in recent decades which, by posing a threat to this expression of cultural heritage due to climate change (sea level rise, coastal erosion, storms, flooding, and salinization) have, however, also presented challenges and opportunities for coastal development, stimulating various resilient responses by local communities.
Keywords: climate change; trabocchi; intangible cultural heritage; coastal areas; resilience; safeguarding adaptive strategies; heritage uses.
References
- Mascitelli A., Prestileo F., Stella E.M., Aruffo E., López Campos L.I., Federico S., Torcasio R.C., Corsi A., Di Carlo P., Dietrich S., Impact of Climate Change on the “Trabocchi Coast” (Italy): The Trabocco Turchino Case Study, Sustainability, 2023, 15, pp. 1-15 , https://doi.org/10.3390/su151410880
- Serafini L., Di Toro N., Not just wood. The fishing machines of the central Adriatic, in Roma, Capitale d’Italia 150 anni dopo. Preesistenze architettoniche. Aree archeologiche - Paesaggio, Bellanca C., Antonini Lanari C., Eds., Artemide, Rome, Italy, 2021; Volume 2, pp. 649-661.
- Forlani M.C., Progettare per l’ambiente costiero. Il recupero della cultura materiale e la valorizzazione delle risorse nella “Costa dei Trabocchi”, Edicom Edizioni, Monfalcone (Gorizia), 2022
- Prestileo F., Mascitelli A., Meli G., Petracca M., Giorgi C., Melfi D., Puca S., Dietrich , Resilience of Cultural Heritage in Extreme Weather Conditions: The Case of the UNESCO Villa Romana del Casale Archaeological Site’s Response to the Apollo Medicane in October 2021. In Proceedings of the Computational Science and Its Applications—ICCSA 2022 Workshops, Malaga, Spain, 4–7 July 2022; Gervasi, O., Murgante, B., Misra, S., Rocha, A.M.A.C., Garau, ., Eds.; Springer International Publishing:Cham, Switzerland, 2022; pp. 511–526.
How to cite: Prestileo, F., Mascitelli, A., Stella, E. M., López Campos, L. I., Federico, S., Torcasio, R. C., Aruffo, E., Chiacchiaretta, P., Di Carlo, P., and Dietrich, S.: A model of vernacular architecture resilience to impact of climate change and social challenges in the Mediterranean basin: the case study of the Trabocchi Coast (Abruzzo Region, Italy), 18th Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Risks, Chania, Greece, 30 Sep–3 Oct 2024, Plinius18-13, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-plinius18-13, 2024.
Overflows of the Tiber River have been a serious and recurrent threat to the city's security, economy and cultural heritage since time immemorial, requiring effective mitigation and adaptation measures to minimise their impact.
Since antiquity, classical authors such as Pliny the Elder and Dion Cassius have descriptively chronicled these events and their catastrophic effects, although in most cases associated with a strong ritual and religious character.
Over the centuries, various measures have been implemented to control floods, including infrastructure such as floodwalls and drainage systems. However, historic floods such as those of 54 BC, 414 AD, 1557 and even the most recent one in 2012 left an indelible mark on the city. This study examines the river historical management, starting with Emperor Augustus’ efforts to channel the river to mitgate flooding and protect the expanding city.
Infact ass Rome has expanded and modernised, more sophisticated methods of dealing with flood management have been developed, but contemporary challenges such as climate change and urban growth continue to pose problems and threats that require attention and effective measures to protect the city and its inhabitants, leaving us to ask: is it too late to save Rome from its fate?
The research is aimed to draw parallels between ancient and modern methods of managing the Tiber’s extremes events (floods as in 2012 and drought periods as it was in 2022), highlighting the resilience of Roman infrastructure and the lessons that can be learned for contemporary water management and safeguarding of cultural heritage in the face of climate change.
Keywords: floods; extreme events; classic Roman works; hydraulic engineering; River Tiber; Rome.
References
Bersani P., Ferranti C., Le piene del Tevere a Roma dal 1870 al 2020, L’Acqua, 2023, 2, 57-82.
Gómez, L. y Long, P. (2023), The floods of the Tiber with additional documents on the Tiber flood of 1530, Medieval & Renaissance Texts, New York.
Moreno Herrero, S. (2007), “Los desbordamientos del Tíber a su paso por Roma en época de Augusto”, El agua y las ciudades romanas (Mangas, J. y Martínez, S. Eds.), 65-72.
How to cite: Aguilar Corona, I., Prestileo, F., Federico, S., and Dietrich, S.: From Augustus to Today: The Tiber River’s Enduring Battle with Nature´s Extremes, 18th Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Risks, Chania, Greece, 30 Sep–3 Oct 2024, Plinius18-62, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-plinius18-62, 2024.
Museums constitute a global infrastructure, with more than 55,000 worldwide, reaching many millions of visitors each year, and supporting public awareness, research and knowledge production with their prestige.
In the era of climate crisis, museums cannot remain neutral. On the contrary, they must function as centers of information and awareness, at the same time exploiting their comparative advantages: the trust of their public, the possibility to connect climate change with issues that they deal within their own exhibitions and collections, their relationship with local communities, their ability to present complex concepts in an understandable way, and finally their privileged position as convergence nodes of the performing arts.
The work will highlight the new role of museums in the era of the climate crisis, that is, the beacon of reliable information about a major global problem, through an exhibition on climate change, specially designed to be hosted in museums that are not thematically oriented in climate change and the environment, "an exhibition within an exhibition". In particular, the methodology, conditions, orientation and structure of the exhibition will be presented, including the museological approach and its distinctive elements, namely, how to introduce the elements of time and space as related to climate change. An innovative element for the design of the exhibition is the formulation of a targeted quantitative audience survey, which collected the expectations of the citizens for a exhibition on climate change.
How to cite: Zygourou, V.: The role of Museums for the protection of cultural heritage in the era of climate crisis, 18th Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Risks, Chania, Greece, 30 Sep–3 Oct 2024, Plinius18-71, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-plinius18-71, 2024.
Recent research reveals that extreme climate events arise from the complex interplay of multiple physical drivers across different spatial and temporal scales. Although traditional climate risk and impact assessments consider individual extreme events, it is the synergy of such events that can trigger cascading impacts. Compound climate events are defined as the combination of multiple drivers and/or hazards that contribute to societal or environmental risk. This work will address the field of extreme climate and weather events through the assessment of the co-occurrence of droughts and heatwave (CDHW) events, focusing on their impact on cultural heritage sites in the Mediterranean.
Large-scale circulation drivers, such as atmospheric blocking, influence the occurrence and persistence of CDHW events. The scope of this study is to evaluate the current state of climate over the Mediterranean in terms of droughts and heatwaves, focusing on their compound impacts on cultural heritage sites, and identifying their large-scale atmospheric circulation drivers. The identification of the CDHW climatology is carried out through the improvement of an index tailored to the Mediterranean region. According to the peak-over-threshold approach, CDHW events occur when two or more contributing climate indicators simultaneously exceed a relative threshold. Multiple indicator combinations are examined, and an optimum compound index is developed that successfully quantifies the interrelations of droughts and heatwaves.
Extensive statistical analysis is carried out to evaluate their frequency, duration, intensity, and trends for a 50-year period (1974-2023). The analysis is based on reanalysis products and follows a data-driven methodology. The role of large-scale atmospheric circulation drivers on the onset, duration, and intensity of CDHW events is examined using the synoptic climatology approach. This analysis provides the hot-spot regions of CDHW high-impact phenomena over the Mediterranean region and their association with large-scale atmospheric circulation, with a particular emphasis on the vulnerabilities of cultural heritage sites.
How to cite: Zazani, A.-K., Cartalis, C., Philippopoulos, K., Agathangelidis, I., and Polydoros, A.: Patterns of Compound Drought and Heatwave Events in the Mediterranean and Their Atmospheric Circulation Drivers: Implications for Cultural Heritage, 18th Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Risks, Chania, Greece, 30 Sep–3 Oct 2024, Plinius18-93, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-plinius18-93, 2024.
