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Heritage Adapts! Campaign Launches to Accelerate Climate Resilience

On June 4, 2026, the Heritage Adapts! campaign was unveiled as a significant global initiative aimed at safeguarding cultural heritage from the impacts of climate change. This campaign emerges as a collaborative effort among more than 100 organizations and local communities worldwide, aiming to adapt at least 3,000 heritage sites and practices by 2030. Spearheaded by Preserving Legacies, a project backed by the National Geographic Society, this initiative focuses on mobilizing efforts at the local level to counter climate-related threats to cultural heritage.

The Urgency of Protecting Heritage

The motivation behind Heritage Adapts! stems from alarming findings by UNESCO, which indicate that climate risk to heritage sites has escalated by 40% over the past decade. With more than a quarter of these sites potentially facing irreversible damage by 2050, there is an urgent need for action. However, much of the world’s heritage remains unassessed by existing international frameworks, exposing a critical gap in support and funding.

By integrating cultural heritage into climate adaptation strategies, Heritage Adapts! seeks to reinforce community resilience and highlight the vital role heritage can play in climate solutions. Andrew Potts, Policy Director at Preserving Legacies, emphasized the importance of this campaign as communities face an impending increase in global temperatures. The initiative aims to stimulate real support and provide resources to every site and cultural practice worldwide.

A Platform for Collective Action

At the core of Heritage Adapts! is an online community platform designed to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing among heritage stewards. This platform makes it easy for participants to engage in a self-paced program that guides them through the steps necessary for effective adaptation.

Ian Miller, Chief Science and Innovation Officer at the National Geographic Society, highlighted the collective nature of this initiative, which recognizes that protecting cultural heritage from climate change is not the responsibility of a single community or country. By combining scientific insights with local wisdom, Heritage Adapts! aims to ensure that humanity’s shared history is preserved for future generations.

The Role of Culture in Climate Action

Fostering resilience through culture is at the heart of the Heritage Adapts! campaign. Dan Ioschpe, the COP 30 Climate High-Level Champion, noted that culture not only connects people to their identities and histories but also informs how they respond to changing environmental conditions. The campaign underlines that positive climate actions begin and end with communities themselves.

Get Involved

As Heritage Adapts! embarks on this significant mission, individuals and organizations interested in participating are encouraged to join the community at act.heritageadapts.org. By fostering collaboration and providing vital resources, this campaign aims to ensure that cultural heritage sites, which are integral to community identity, thrive amidst the growing climate crisis.

In conclusion, the Heritage Adapts! campaign represents a monumental step towards integrating heritage preservation into global climate action efforts. By addressing the vulnerabilities of cultural sites, it lays the groundwork for a future where heritage not only survives but flourishes alongside the sustainable development of our communities.