Welcome to our second module on Threats to Cultural Heritage(s) and Sustainable Development. We examine how cultural heritage is exposed to—and shaped by—complex, overlapping threats rooted in economic systems, environmental crises, and political governance. We aim to identify and classify these risks and critically assess how they intersect in ways that challenge the very foundations of sustainable development. From chronic underfunding and over-tourism to sea level rise and policy failures, heritage sites, practices, and communities are increasingly vulnerable to systemic pressures beyond commonplace material decay or episodic disaster. We draw on current research, including recent assessments of climate impacts on coastal heritage in China, as an illustration of cultural heritage risk as a multidimensional problem—social, ecological, technological, and political. As we explore the threat environment, we also reflect on the adequacy of existing frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The module includes an instructor video lecture, readings, and an applied exercise. Our goal is to learn to think critically about threats not as isolated phenomena, but as interconnected processes requiring integrated, participatory, and future-oriented responses. Let’s get started.
| READING 2a_Beyond inundation: a comprehensive assessment of sea level rise impact on coastal cultural heritage in China | ||
| READING 2b_Al Quntar et al. Responding to a Cultural Heritage Crisis_Syria_Iraq_2015 | ||
| LECTURE 2_Threats to cultural heritage(s) and their mitigation. A sustainable development approach In this module, we introduce the multi-dimensional threats confronting cultural heritage in the 21st century. It explores how economic, environmental, political, representational, and technological risks intersect to undermine heritage sustainability and equity. Through case studies—from coastal China to Venice and Cape Town—students analyze how governance failures, over-tourism, and climate pressures erode heritage systems. The module foregrounds spatial analysis, participatory governance, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals as essential frameworks for mitigation and resilience, promoting inclusive and future-oriented approaches to cultural heritage protection. |
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| DEMONSTRATION EXERCISE: Systemic Threat Assessment Using Spider Diagrams: The Case of Venice This practical exercise introduces you to a visual and analytical method for assessing systemic threats to cultural heritage through spider (radar) diagrams. Centered on the case of Venice, Italy—where climate change, overtourism, and governance challenges converge—you will engage with two structured spider charts to map intersecting risks (environmental, economic, political, social, and technological) and evaluate corresponding mitigation strategies. |
