active· Climate· Health

Cultural Heritage - A Driver of Climate Action for resilient World Heritage Cities & Towns in Asia and the Pacific

As stated in the latest IPPC Report, extreme weather conditions are intensifying in cities and urban areas, with climate change causing adverse impacts on human health and livelihoods, with economically and socially marginalized urban residents the most at risk. This reflects a concerning trend in the Third Cycle of the Periodic Reporting for the Asia and the Pacific region which identifies that World Heritage properties and their communities are increasingly affected by the impacts of climate change. This has become one of the most significant threats to World Heritage properties in recent times by potentially impacting their Outstanding Universal Value, and their potential for economic and social development at the local level. In response, the project will strengthen the resilience of World Heritage Towns and Cities in the Asia-Pacific region against climate impacts by enhancing the role of cultural heritage in climate action. It will remove barriers and support World Heritage cities across three outcome areas providing, increased knowledge, enhanced engagement, and increased policy recognition on climate action. Project outputs include a regional survey of World Heritage Cities, multi-disciplinary research, convening a regional meeting, testing innovative climate solutions, piloting a climate action toolkit/guidance, and sharing policy lessons and good practices with policy makers.