A UHI Archaeology Institute PhD student was one of the keynote speakers at this week’s ICOMOS International Committee on Archaeological Heritage Management (ICAHM) conference in Chile.
Adam Markham’s presentation, Fragile pasts and uncertain futures: archaeology and cultural heritage management in an increasingly unstable climate, focused on the climate change threat to cultural heritage across the planet.
He provided an update on the current state of the climate and the growing threat to archaeological sites, including the importance of local, traditional and indigenous knowledge in assessing vulnerability, increasing resilience and strengthening adaptation strategies.
It also addressed climate implications for heritage preservation and management, especially in the context of international processes and treaties including the Paris Agreement, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the World Heritage Convention.
The lead author for the UNESCO World Heritage and Tourism in a Changing Climate report, a former deputy director for climate and energy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, Adam is now director of Climate Heritage Advisors.
His ongoing PhD research project with the UHI Archaeology Institute is entitled Understanding mind, economy and social transitions in the Viking Age and Late Norse British Isles through the use and meaning of birds.
