2024 - Climate Change and Heritage Adaptation in Egypt and North-East Africa
Climate change poses one of the most urgent but under-recognised threats to heritage in the MENA region, where delicate monuments and traditions are increasingly vulnerable to shifting climates and extreme weather. Dr Carl Graves, Director of the Egypt Exploration Society, leads the “Climate Change and Heritage Adaptation” project, an ambitious initiative supported by The Barakat Trust to address this critical challenge.
The project brings together heritage specialists from Egypt and neighbouring countries to explore how climate change is already affecting cultural heritage and to develop practical adaptation strategies. Through an international online conference and an intensive retreat hosted at New Hermopolis in Middle Egypt, the project will provide a platform for researchers, government officials, and NGOs to share knowledge and propose concrete actions.
Key outputs will include action plans, policy briefs, and practical guidelines tailored to heritage sites across North and East Africa. The project prioritises both tangible heritage (monuments, artefacts) and intangible heritage (oral traditions, craftsmanship), both of which are increasingly at risk due to environmental and humanitarian pressures, including displacement.
By advocating for regional policy changes, raising awareness, and providing training, this project aims to secure the future of cultural heritage for communities whose identities are intertwined with it. The project will make its findings widely available in English and Arabic, maximising its impact among scholars, practitioners, and the public alike.
The Egypt Exploration Society is a leading British research organisation, renowned for its contributions to archaeology and heritage preservation in Egypt for over a century.
