Flood risk maps to cultural heritage: Measures and process

Abstract Due to extreme climate change, catastrophe normality has become a global trend. The idea of “preventive conservation” is now the primary focus of cultural preservation worldwide. Risk maps have become the tool to predict cultural heritage vulnerabilities because of irreversible cultural characteristics that can never be duplicated after being destroyed. Because the concepts of risk maps and cultural heritage preservation are relatively new in Taiwan, this study attempts to create a set of cultural heritage risk maps. Using flood as its primary disaster type and New Taipei City in northern Taiwan as its targeted area, this study first analyses disaster-prone areas using current global preservation approaches. Thematic analysis and field study are also used for analysis. Finally, based on cultural heritage vulnerability, the study examines present heritage preservation strategies and rediscovers the three aspects of “sustainable management, disaster management, and climate change and adaptation” in response to cultural heritage management. In addition, this study analyses the feasibility of using parks as water detention areas to reduce flood damage temporarily not only to cultural heritage areas but to human lives and property, as well.