UNESCO Launches Groundbreaking Report on Climate Change Impacts in Mediterranean World Heritage Cities

UNESCO World Heritage Centre has launched a groundbreaking new report Climate Change in Mediterranean World Heritage Cities during a high-level online event attended by over 140 participants from international organisations, national authorities, academia, and civil society. The report addresses the intersection of three important concerns around impacts of climate change on cultural heritage, the Mediterranean region as a global climate hotspot, and cities as a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions as well as of climate action. It marks a milestone in UNESCO’s efforts to bridge the knowledge gap between climate science and heritage-based adaptation planning. Combining qualitative analysis of reports from cities and settlements and Earth observation data, the study provides both Earth system models and regional climate models to identify the hazards already experienced and projections for future climate risks that the World Heritage properties should prepare for. This publication aims to raise global awareness of the gravity and urgency of the climate crisis, as well as recognise cultural heritage as a valuable resource for climate action.

The launch event was opened by Mr Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture who provided a broad introduction to ongoing engagements of UNESCO with regard to climate change and culture. Ms Yana Gevorgyan, Director of the GEO Secretariat emphasized the potential of Earth Intelligence and GEO’s global platforms to guide local responses to climate risks, referencing the Urban Heritage Climate Observatory (UHCO) and the Global Heat Resilience Service. While reiterating the importance of the report H.E. Ms Christina Kokkinakis, Ambassador of the European Union to UNESCO highlighted the urgency of climate change in Europe and the European Union’s priorities for achieving climate neutrality, while reflecting that “Mediterranean cities have survived for centuries—we don’t just lose a momentum, but our collective future. It is not about what we inherit, but what we choose for the future.”

Presented by its lead co-authors, Ms Jyoti Hosagrahar, Deputy Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, and Mr Evangelos Gerasopoulos, Director of the Greek GEO Office, the new publication is the first comprehensive, data-driven assessment of climate change risks to World Heritage cities in the Mediterranean region. Drawing on Earth observations, local climate projections, and qualitative reports from site managers, the study assesses 114 cities inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The results are alarming: nearly two-thirds of these cities already experience at least one climate-related hazard, such as extreme heat, flooding, droughts, or storms; and nearly a fifth of the Mediterranean World Heritage Cities report already facing 3 or more climate hazards.

Under the worst-case scenario for 2100, coastal World Heritage cities in the region will additionally face sea-level rise, and the majority will be exposed to multiple, compounding climate hazards.

Despite the challenges posed by climate change, World Heritage Cities are immense repositories of traditional knowledge accumulated over millennia. The report highlights key heritage-informed policies and actions, including urban planning responses to enhance resilience. Urban climate mitigation and adaptation strategies could also include adapting traditional building techniques and planning solutions to optimise climate conditions in historic cities and settlements. Case studies featured in the publication illustrate how such measures are already making a difference. Looking ahead, the report considers that a wide range of actions are required, from international policies to national and local strategies. Regular monitoring is key, as is the integration of cultural heritage into climate action plans and policies at all governmental levels. Better planning allows cities to harness resilience, adaptation and mitigation offered by their cultural heritage.

Comments by experts during the launch event reinforced the report’s urgency and relevance. Sir Jim Skea, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), stressed the importance of scaling up climate knowledge for local action, and commended the report’s multidisciplinary approach reminding participants that the impacts of climate change are not uni-dimensional, as well as the necessity of engaging with more diverse forms of knowledge, including indigenous and local one – as demonstrated in the publication. Professor Christos S. Zerefos, Secretary General of the Academy of Athens, noted that "The culture we inherit should be preserved—not by ignoring the discomforts our monuments endure, as they can’t speak.” Ms Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Vice-Chair of IPCC Working Group III and Chair of the Scientific Steering Committee for the upcoming IPCC Special Report on Cities and Climate Change, recognised the report as an important and timely contribution aligned with global scientific efforts. All the experts noted that the value of the lessons learned from the 114 World Heritage Cities in the Mediterranean region extended far beyond the entire world.

Mr Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the World Heritage Centre, closed the event reiterating the importance of this report for UNESCO and the World Heritage Centre, emphasising that the report is "more than a diagnosis – it is a roadmap for protecting cultural heritage in the face of climate change", especially as we prepare for the start of the 2025 World Heritage Committee session. He called for expanded partnerships and long-term monitoring, and stated: “As the climate crisis accelerates, so must our collaborations. This is an opportunity to ensure more resilient, just, and sustainable cities where our shared heritage is safeguarded for generations to come.”

The full publication is now available on the UNESCO platform. It aims to serve as a knowledge resource and decision-making tool for States Parties, site managers, urban planners, and heritage professionals working across the region and beyond.