Thanks to a 2022 cooperative agreement with the National Endowment for the Humanities, FAIC is working to develop resiliency tools to help institutions prepare for the effects of the climate crisis. The project will result in an interactive climate risk map, learning modules, and communities of practice to help cultural institutions and heritage sites prepare for and mitigate climate-related environmental hazards.
The resources are tailored for cultural heritage stewards and communities, sites, and organizations of all sizes and locations in the US and its Territories. This project will allow cultural heritage sites to increase their awareness of climate risk and events, develop the knowledge and skills needed to take steps to climate resilience including creation of a climate resilience plan, and provide the tools needed (in English and Spanish) for establishing collective learning groups and guide community action.
The resources consist of:
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Climate Risk & Event Map: A web-based, interactive map will show past, current, and future weather-driven climate risks and impacts which will affect a cultural heritage organization or site, or community. This is intended to increase awareness of past, present, and anticipated future climate risks that will likely impact cultural heritage.
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Learning Modules: A comprehensive array of tools, resources, and activities to provide the knowledge and skills needed to learn about climate resiliency, and actions and topics focused on improving resiliency. These guided learning opportunities will provide background information, situational context, case studies, resources, and activities. The content developed by the Learning Modules can be input into a climate resilience plan template which is also being developed.
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Communities of Practice: Regional learning groups located in the US Caribbean and New Mexico, which explore using the resources and creating community-driven support networks. Participant stories of working together in a community to develop climate resilience plans will also be shared on the website.
Climate Resilience Resources for Cultural Heritage, a project of
Held in Trust, is the first action item resulting from the work of FAIC's four-year collaboration with the National Endowment for Humanities to consider how cultural heritage conservation and preservation must evolve to confront pressing issues the country faces today and build a more resilient future.