Climate Change Adaptation Planning for Cultural Heritage, a National Scale Methodology

Ireland’s Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 established the requirement for a National Adaptation Framework (NAF) composed of 9 sectoral plans, of which Built and Archaeological Heritage is one.All the plans were written according to the six step process outlined in Sectoral Planning Guidelines for ClimateChange Adaptation produced by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (DCCAE, 2018) which is also the government department charged with coordinating the NAF. This article summarisesthe application of the methodology to heritage resources in Ireland, the issues encountered and the resultsachieved.The plan was informed by existing research and incorporated expert, stakeholder and public consultationthroughout the process. It also closely considered published plans from other sectors in order to aid consistencywithin the NAF and to ensure cross-cutting issues were highlighted.Of the many potential impacts of climate change, those identified as priorities for adaptation planning in Irelandwere flooding (inland & coastal), storm damage, coastal erosion, soil movement (landslip or erosion), changingburial preservation conditions, pests and mould, wildfires, and maladaptation. Goals, objectives and an actionplan were developed commensurate with the five-year term of the plan, but also initiating a long-term strategicvision. A monitoring strategy was developed to monitor progress, identify problems and inform improvements to the adaptation plan as part of an iterative process. Much work is being done on the topic of climate change and cultural heritage but it is believed that when Ireland adopted its national adaptation plan for cultural heritage in October 2019 it was the first government to do so.