Rising Waters, Rooted Memories: Cultural Heritage as a resource for climate adaptation in Sinking Cities

Abstract

Coastal communities around the world are on the frontline of dealing with climate change impacts, such as sea level rise. The research project “Sinking Cities: Cultural Heritage as a transformational resource” at the City Science Lab in Hamburg focuses on how cultural heritage can play a pivotal role in building resilient coastal communities. The aim of this pioneer project is to better understand the role of cultural heritage in social transformation processes and propose paths of action for socially integrated and fair climate adaptation. We argue that climate narratives are a continuum in cultural heritage and therefore should be considered more comprehensively by embracing historical sources as well as present cultural practices, like staging, arranging and performing as a form of knowledge production to broaden the view on climate narratives and tap into the transformative knowledge they offer.