Cultural Heritage in Polar Regions. Natural and human impact on cultural heritage sites and environments

Cultural heritage management in the Polar Regions is an increasingly challenging endeavour as management authorities face impacts from climate and environmental change as well as increasing human activity such as oil and gas extraction and tourism. The purpose of the project is to address the challenges of safeguarding and managing World Heritage Sites, as well as methodological challenges related to monitoring cultural heritage sites and environments in the Polar Regions. Based on previous and current methods and monitoring practices the project aims to develop an integrated, cross-scale methodological approach to monitoring cultural heritage assets in the Polar Regions. The methodology will be based on the combination and integration of methods. The a im is to contribute to a holistic approach to cultural heritage management and a progressive, knowledge-based cultural heritage management of World Heritage Sites in the Polar Regions. The project will draw upon collaboration with management authorities; The Directorate for Cultural Heritage and The Governor of Svalbard, who will provide information regarding current management and monitoring practices on Svalbard and participate in meetings and seminars. Research partners from New Zealand and Canada wil l participate in workshops. The researchers have backgrounds in archaeology, social anthropology, architecture, geography and ecology/biology and together they have extensive experience with World Heritage, cultural heritage management, GIS, remote sens ing. In addition to the project website, international publications and conference papers, project results will be made available to international and national management authorities.