Cultural heritage is an asset that needs to be protected against the new risks arising from climate change, but it is also a resource that can strengthen the adaptive capacity of human communities in the face of climate change.
Some of the effects of climate change on cultural heritage are already visible: many properties located near the coast are affected by rising sea levels; fluctuations in the water table affect the structural stability of buildings of historical and cultural interest; and the increase in temperature combined with the effects of air pollution lead to an increase in physical, chemical and mechanical erosion processes.
Alterations in cultural landscapes and in the practices and knowledge associated with agricultural economic activities and traditional ways of life caused by increased desertification, flooding and extreme events cannot be neglected.