Climate changes and the vulnerability of the cultural heritage – a Swedish pilot project

STEFAN NILSSON, EVA SVENSSON, LARS NYBERG, MONICA FJAESTAD
Cultural Landscape Consultant; Karlstad University, Sweden; Swedish National Board of Antiquities

The cultural heritage has so far been placed in a remote corner of the ongoing climate debate. This is despite the fact that climate change might have significant impact on the cultural heritage, such as flooding, mould, rot and erosion. Also, there is a strong trend today of exploiting areas close to waterfronts for settlement, in spite of risks for rising water levels and hence flooding.

This project focuses on two aspects of cultural heritage and climate changes within an area in Sweden: 1) mapping possible future water levels related to sites with cultural remains, such as settlements and graves, in order to identify possible threats to the cultural heritage; 2) analyzing human choices for settlement over time, comparing past with present times, to contribute with traditional knowledge to urban planning. The study area is the county of Värmland, situated in western Sweden.

Possible flooding risks including water levels are available through studies initiated by the Swedish government. Via the Swedish National Board of Antiquities (Sw. Riksantikvarieämbetet) the cultural remains of prehistoric and early historic settlements, and graves can be obtained digitally. Results from an adjacent project, that studies locations, building and heating techniques for residential houses from the 18th and 19th centuries, will be added to illustrate choices for settlement in the past compared to the present. Both projects will take place during 2009.