Inundation risk assessment of Eastern Mediterranean Coastal archaeological and historical sites of Türkiye and Greece.

Abstract

Archaeological and historical sites, including World Heritage Sites, archaeological sites, castles, fortresses, towers, bridges, necropolises, and ruins, which are a shared legacy of humanity, are at risk of inundation due to sea level rise resulting from global climate change and increased carbon emissions, much like settlements, transportation systems, agricultural areas, and animal habitats. These locations are significant hot spots for connecting the past to the present regarding human history. Throughout history, settlements have been established around wetlands and shorelines. For this reason, the most significant danger threatening coastal archaeological and historical sites is the risk of inundation due to sea level rise. Creating an inundation risk map could be beneficial for planning and conservation studies due to reasons such as the long duration of archaeological studies, lack of a qualified workforce, and budget constraints. To this end, inundation risk maps were created for five different scenarios with risk classes varying from very high to very low, considering global and local sea level rise predictions. The study evaluated 464 historic areas located on the Eastern Mediterranean coasts of Türkiye and Greece. The findings indicate that a significant number of archaeological and historical sites, such as Knidos and Delos, will be inundated even in the lowest sea level rise scenarios. According to the inundation risk map, 34 sites are at very high risk, 21 at high risk, 25 at medium risk, 26 at low risk, and 41 at very low risk of inundation.