Well-adapted cultural heritage system
Risk to the system from climate change: flooding and coastal erosion impact the cultural heritage system.
Objectives
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Cultural heritage is managed and maintained to preserve value for current and future generations.
- Proposed target: by 2035, all cultural heritage assets managed for public good that are deemed ‘at risk’ should have a long term adaptation plan.
- Proposed target: by 2050, climate risks for all at-risk cultural heritage assets should be managed.
Actions
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Physical protection: maintenance and repair, flood and storm defences, controlled climate systems, and protective coatings for sensitive material.
These actions maintain or improve the physical state of an asset or reduce the risk by changing the surrounding environment. Improved condition of physical assets increases durability and resilience to environmental impacts and reduces long-term cumulative damage. Measures may include:
- Increased maintenance and repair: for example, increased frequency of inspections, repair of weathered masonry, timber, or roofing, treatment of biological growth, repointing and sealing of joints to prevent water damage. High levels of maintenance and prompt repair will be increasingly important for most built assets.
- Flood and storm protection: for example, flood barriers and drainage improvements, coastal defences, and roof strengthening.
- Additional protection: for example, installing building measures for thermal and moisture control, controlled climate systems, slope stabilisation to counter erosion and subsidence, and treatment of sensitive materials or protective coatings.
These adaptation actions are connected with adaptation in the built environment and communities system.
Operational actions: controlled access to sites, and health and safety protocols to protect sensitive sites, staff, and visitors.
These actions help protect both visitors and staff, as well as protect sensitive areas when those areas are more vulnerable (such as water-logged sites). For example, seasonal or temporary closure periods during extreme weather, restricted access to vulnerable areas, adjusted visitor routes and improved accessways, and emergency preparedness protocols.
These adaptation actions are connected with adaptation in the land system.
Technological and innovative interventions: sensors and early warning systems, digitisation of collections, virtual online tours, and interpretive reconstructions.
These actions incorporate technology, digital solutions, or newer methods. For example, installation of sensors and early warning systems for extreme weather events, digitisation of collections and physical assets, monitoring or recording at risk information (including lidar scans of archaeological sites), virtual online tours, and interpretive reconstructions.
Other actions, including managed loss: asset relocation, replicas, changing use of sites.
These actions are intended to help manage the value of assets that are likely to be lost due to climate-related hazards. For example, temporary or permanent asset relocation, replicas of assets, transformation of use (such as using historic buildings as community centres or places to stay), ongoing monitoring and evaluation of an asset’s physical state to help inform if and when additional actions are needed.
Enablers
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Resources: public and private funding to support development of adaptation plans and actions.
Sufficient funding is required to support the development of adaptation plans and subsequent actions. Adaptation costs are currently unknown across the UK and may be additional to current maintenance and running costs. The sector currently relies on philanthropy, fundraising, and membership schemes, often through charities, trusts, and foundations, to manage maintenance of many heritage assets. Public grants are also available which organisations can apply to.
- Public funds are provided directly to some public bodies which manage cultural heritage assets. As an indication of current spending, in 2024/25, the Department for Media, Culture and Sport provided £83 million (2025 prices) to Historic England, which accounted for 85% of its income.
- Government has recently increased funding for heritage, and culture more broadly, although not specifically for adaptation. For example, of the UK Government’s £270 million Art Everywhere Fund, £15 million is pledged for Heritage at Risk, £25 million for the Museum Estate and Development Fund, and £4.85 million for the Heritage Revival Fund (2025 prices).
- Training is required to increase capacity and capability for planning and delivering adaptation action within the heritage sector. This includes for undertaking climate risk assessments, assessing appropriate adaptation actions, and developing practical trade skills, such as methods for working on traditionally constructed houses. Investment in Local Planning Authority capacity, specifically archaeology and conservation roles, may also be required to aid and process planning consents.
Clear plans, roles, and responsibilities: asset-specific adaptation plans for all at-risk heritage assets.
Asset-specific adaptation plans, with emergency response plans for severe weather events where appropriate, are needed for all at-risk tangible heritage assets. The first step is to identify at-risk heritage assets (for example, via a similar process to the National Trust climate hazard map). Context-specific adaptation plans then need to be developed to understand the local risks, potential acceptable future states of each asset, the costs, and ultimately decide the adaptation approach and actions. Plans must adopt a long-term view.
Data and monitoring processes: on climate risks to each heritage asset and tracking adaptation delivery.
Data is required to understand the climate risks for each asset to help inform decision-making. Good data is required on future climate risk, costs of climate damage, and cost-effectiveness of adaptation actions to understand which are best suited to a particular heritage site or asset. Data is currently held by multiple organisations, so a shared platform that facilitates knowledge-sharing and learning would assist decision-making.
Engagement, awareness, and support: to identify values, priorities, and an acceptable long-term vision for assets.
Stakeholder engagement can enable successful delivery. Early engagement with stakeholders helps to identify values, priorities, and an acceptable long-term vision for assets that are managed for the public good. Increasing awareness of adaptation can also improve support for projects. Culture is inherently values-based, so the long-term vision, actions, and priorities depend on what people value and whether there is social licence for change.
Policies
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International agreements: that mandate protection and conservation of globally important sites.
This includes agreements which protect and regulate UNESCO sites. These agreements typically result in strong preservation measures and provide benefits such as high tourism resulting in increased funding. Adaptation is becoming increasingly embedded as a requirement in these policies.
Planning policy, regulation, and legislation for heritage assets: that accounts for climate change while maintaining cultural value, with clear guidance on integrating adaptation measures.
Any change to the physical structure is regulated and requires consent. Legal frameworks differ across the UK: examples include the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023; the Historic Environment Scotland Act 2014; the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 for England and Wales; and the Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments Act 1953.
Public provision: funding that requires consideration of future climate conditions and supports long-term adaptation.
This could include requiring the consideration of future climate conditions and adaptation planning as a criterion for any heritage projects that receive public funds. Consideration of future climate and adaptation is not currently a condition for many grants.