The study aims to provide a screening tool that helps prioritize the adaptation actions for coastal cultural heritage against the sea-level rise and its impacts. The tool will integrate the physical and social vulnerabilities by developing a new vulnerability assessment model for cultural heritage and utilizing the Fuzzy Coastal Vulnerability Assessment Model developed by Assist. Prof. Gülizar Özyurt Tarakcıoğlu. The project is organized into several work packages to accomplish its main goals.
Main Goals of the Study
- Developing a scientific risk analysis method: The study aims to develop a comprehensive, data-driven methodology combining an index-based fuzzy coastal vulnerability assessment model (Ozyurt, 2010) with cultural heritage sensitivities. This method is aimed to be applied on a national scale within the country. The indicators utilized in the method will help in understanding the vulnerabilities at the national level. The analysis will not only consider the total vulnerability but will also separately assess the effects of coastal erosion and periodic floods on cultural heritage assets. This approach aims to prioritize the assets in terms of their sensitivity and exposure to different impacts.
- Detailed evaluation & Flood mapping for high-risk areas: For the sites determined to be at high risk, the effects of the changes in the period until 2100 will be determined through detailed evaluations made with experts from various disciplines. By examining the effects in detail, a method that can be utilized for comprehensive examinations of heritage sites at other risk levels will be introduced. By utilizing geographical information systems and existing national and international databases in an integrated manner, the flood area dimensions of the threatened site under extreme water level conditions will be calculated, and flood maps will be prepared.
- Understanding the existing knowledge about climate change in the field of cultural heritage: The current knowledge and predictions of experts and researchers working on the heritage sites at high-risk level will be evaluated through a survey. By doing this, it is aimed to see how this group of professionals perceives the impacts of climate change.
- Sharing recommended measures for adaptation: After validating the results of the model, the findings will be presented to a group of people both studying and working in the field of cultural heritage and climate change. This presentation aims to obtain their recommendations for the possible adaptation measures that can help preserve the coastal cultural heritage of Türkiye threatened by sea-level rise and its impacts.
