PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC HERITAGE IN ENERGY DEPENDENT ANTHROPOCENE: A CHALLENGE FOR CLIMATE COMPATIBLE DEVELOPMENT
Abstract
Climatic conditions have a strong relationship with human civilization since its beginning on planet Earth. The Anthropocene has transformed the world from nature-based ecosystem to energy dependent socio-ecological system of modern civilization where per capita carbon footprint has increased many folds. The human influence for the current state of global-scale anthropogenic imprint of climate change on historic heritages is context dependent. In the context, this qualitative research paper aimed to examine in depth the topic of priority interest i.e., the state of knowledge and conceptual understanding about the nexus and relationship of climate, energy, development and historic heritages in the Anthropocene by employing cause and effect modeling technique. Based on content analysis of the global state of the knowledge and three modeled scenarios including two case studies, this paper built very good arguments about the amplifying and triggering effects of GHG flux towards climatic extreme events and its cascading effects, having a complex nexus with historic heritage sites. The issues of climate vulnerability, adaptation, resilience and mitigation explored and clarified well. It deciphers the need to devise sustainable and climate compatible solutions of ‘triple-win’ strategies’ for the protection and preservation of historic heritage sites worldwide, which is a challenge of 21st century. The general cause and effect model can be used for the purpose of future climate response strategies for different historic heritage sites, by developing case specific scenarios.
