Figure 1 - uploaded by Carole Lynn Nash
Content may be subject to copyright.
Middle Atlantic Region, United States. Reprinted with permission from P. Wade, James Madison University.
Source publication
The US Middle Atlantic region, known for its rich archaeological record and diverse topographic settings, is experiencing a range of climate change impacts, most notably: sea level rise and coastal erosion in its tidal zones. Documented palaeostratigraphic and palynological studies throughout the region provide a record of late Pleistocene/Holocene...
Citations
... Ranking resources and sites for the purpose of prioritising management actions has long been an accepted methodology for fields such as conservation biology (Myers et al. 2000;Game, Kareiva, and Possingham 2013;Nash and Wholey 2018), but has been gaining traction in archaeological resource management, especially in the face of increased risk associated with global climate change (Phillips 2014;Graham, Hambley, and Dawson 2017;Heathcote, Fluck, and Wiggins 2017;Heilen, Altschul, and Luth 2018;Nash and Wholey 2018). The rate at which 'sites are being impacted is overwhelming [the] ability to respond. ...
... Ranking resources and sites for the purpose of prioritising management actions has long been an accepted methodology for fields such as conservation biology (Myers et al. 2000;Game, Kareiva, and Possingham 2013;Nash and Wholey 2018), but has been gaining traction in archaeological resource management, especially in the face of increased risk associated with global climate change (Phillips 2014;Graham, Hambley, and Dawson 2017;Heathcote, Fluck, and Wiggins 2017;Heilen, Altschul, and Luth 2018;Nash and Wholey 2018). The rate at which 'sites are being impacted is overwhelming [the] ability to respond. ...
Archaeological resources in the coastal zone are subjected to a variety of cultural, social, and environmental conditions that affect a site’s stability, which can be defined in physical (e.g. structure, geophysical environment), sociocultural (e.g. looting, vandalism), and regulatory (e.g. federal, state, and local mandates) terms. To effectively manage resources within this dynamic environment requires a holistic understanding of what drives stability (or instability) at each site. The systematic development of indices for archaeological site stability aggregates a large number of complex conditions, both drivers and pressures, into a smaller set of key indicators that can be used to evaluate site stability, and to monitor changes over time. This system of indices provides an integrated framework for evaluation of site-specific stability that allows for adaptive management and the prioritisation of resources (e.g. funding, time, staff).
... The Fourth National Climate Assessment of the U.S. Global Change Research Program identified that SLR threatens Tribal Nations' abilities to 'pursue a mix of traditional subsistence and commercial sector activities that include agriculture, hunting and gathering, fisheries, forestry, energy, recreation, and tourism enterprises' (Jantarasami et al., 2018, p. 579). SLR will exacerbate inequality and jeopardizes Tribal Nations' infrastructure, including water systems, as well as cultural resources vital to sovereign integrity (Jantarasami et al., 2018;Nash & Wholey, 2018). ...
Sea level rise (SLR) poses significant threats to northeast and mid-Atlantic Tribal Nations' climate and water justice. Existing SLR adaptation frameworks do not include Indigenous knowledge. Furthermore, SLR adaptation policy prioritizes economic and property rights and is misaligned with Indigenous coastal protection priorities. If Tribal Nations are to respond effectively to SLR then adaptation frameworks must be designed and developed by Indigenous Peoples for Indigenous Peoples. Eastern coastal Tribal Nations have a unique history of survival and resilience despite settler-colonial expansion in the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of what is currently referred to as the United States. Experiences of eastern Atlantic coastal Tribal Nations highlight innovative response strategies for SLR adaptation and coastal stewardship practices not reflected in existing adaptation frameworks for the region. Indigenist SLR adaptation frameworks that utilize Indigenous knowledge are needed to combat water security issues resulting from SLR risks such as flooding, saltwater intrusion, storm surge, and erosion. This article proposes the WAMPUM adaptation framework informed by northeastern and mid-Atlantic coastal Tribal Nation science and knowledge systems for climate change adaptation to SLR.
Cultural resources are often overlooked in climate change and resiliency planning, despite them being integral to community identity and the restoration of a sense of normalcy after significant weather events. This vulnerability assessment demonstrates how cultural resources can be included in planning efforts, and how they can be prioritized based on specific criteria. To complete this assessment, a working group with local land managers and cultural resource professionals was formed, and members employed a sophisticated Geo Tool, ACUNE (Adaptation of Coastal Urban and Natural Ecosystems) for climate adaptation, to predict how cultural resources throughout Collier County, Florida, would be impacted in two specific climate scenarios. The working group selected ten significant sites in the county and used ACUNE to prioritize action at these sites, using a matrix of hazard exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and the environmental, social, and economic consequences of the loss of these sites. Based on the results of our case study vulnerability assessment of cultural resources in Collier County, the next decade (2020 to 2030) has the potential to increase the number of sites at risk of storm flooding from 267 to 318, alerting managers that immediate action is needed for the sites of greatest value. The analysis of 10 case study sites is presented to demonstrate an approach for land managers and other cultural resource professionals to prioritize action at their own sites.
Coastal heritage and archaeological sites are part of a complex system of socioenvironmental processes whose conditions are placed at risk from increasing climate-change pressures and impacts. Cultural-heritage managers are working to increase understanding of these pressures and create ways to assess, mitigate, and/or adapt to change. Coastal-zone assessments (CZA) are a recognized methodology in several national management plans to gather detailed data in order to provide an informed assessment of current resources and any associated hazards and risks. A collaborative and innovative partnership is seeking to expand on current CZA models by integrating social, historical, and geomorphological criteria into archaeological site assessment, with aims toward the development of a resource-priority index for coastal-heritage managers in Ireland.
The Delaware Bay coastal zone includes at least 1580 cultural heritage resource sites; 700 of them could be damaged or lost by the year 2100. Future projections of sea-level rise (SLR) and storm surges identified cultural resources at high risk for inundation by the years 2030, 2050, 2080, and 2100. The projections are aimed to be high-end estimates preparing for long-term planning and “worse-case” scenarios. Sites located along the riverbanks are facing the highest threats from SLR. Coastal sites will be more frequently impacted by storms as surge levels increase with SLR. Storm-surge simulations predicted a non-linear increase in surge levels, reaching greater heights along the New Jersey side of the Bay compared to the Delaware side. Coastal sites without a protective dune system, or a dune less than 2 m in elevation, should be considered at immediate risk from coastal flooding. Shoreline erosion, and more frequent storms combined with SLR will increase vulnerability of coastal sites in the future. All endangered sites cannot be protected, therefore the results of the study should be of particular interest to historic preservation planners, cultural resources managers, Indigenous community leaders, and scholars to prioritize resources, develop the most effective preservation strategies, and plans for reconnaissance, survey, or data recovery from threatened sites and landscapes.
Climate change is a threat to coastal archaeology, with impacts resulting from storm flooding (Extreme Sea-Level: ESL), long-term sea-level rise (SLR) and coastal erosion. There remain large global gaps in baseline evidence, for instance in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). We present here a methodological demonstration and initial results from an assessment of climate change threats to the coastal heritage of the MENA region. This is based on the newly-developed Maritime Endangered Archaeology (MarEA) inventory which provides an up-to-date digital geospatial database of maritime archaeological sites from MENA incorporating as standard a disturbance and threat assessment. These data inform two analyses of past disturbance and future threat: 1) based directly on the integral threat/disturbance assessment and 2) geospatial extraction of information from existing models of coastal change (Global Surface Water, LISCoAsT, CoastalDEM90). These analyses suggest a small core of coastal sites (<5%) isdefinitely affected by coastal erosion. However, many more (up to 34% of the documented coastal record), may also have been affected by flooding, erosion or storm action in the recent past. More than 40–50% of coastal sites could be impacted by climate change-related processes in some form over the 21st Century. SLR and ESL could impact on 14–25% of sites by 2050 and 18–34% by 2100. Over 30% of coastal sites could be impacted by erosion by 2050 and over 40% by 2100. All climate change-related threats will also increase over the 21stCentury with a post-2050 acceleration, if carbon emissions remain high, and place considerable pressure on the unique coastal archaeological record. Whilst documentation is ongoing and there remain uncertainties in this modelling, these data and approaches provide a viable means to redress the frequent absence of baseline data on climate change impacts and coastal cultural heritage in the MENA region.
Over the past two decades, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have emerged as one of the primary legislative initiatives used to protect the marine environment. Additionally, they are recognised as an integral management mechanism used to address Climate Change, and some consider them to be a driver for sustainable community development. To date, these areas have been used primarily to protect the natural environment, but there is both a clear justification and need to integrate cultural heritage into this network of sites. Such an integrated model would allow for the better realisation of the socio-economic development aspirations around MPA designation, and allow for broader inclusivity, and participatory community action and engagement. The integration of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage into these frameworks will support enhanced social cohesion, and a strengthening of place-making.
