Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Face of Climate-Induced Mobility
Addressing Normative Gaps in International Law
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46282/blr.2026.10.1.1101Keywords:
Intangible Cultural Heritage, Cultural Heritage, Climate Change, Indigenous Knowledge, UNESCOAbstract
The impact of climate change on cultural heritage is a relatively new topic. The primary reason for its previous neglect lies in the fact that the consequences of climate change have caused existential threats, such as the submergence or uninhabitability of certain parts of the world, in light of which the preservation of cultural heritage, as a non-existential issue, has remained in the background. When the two legal frameworks, one concerning climate change and the other concerning cultural heritage, began to be connected in the 2000s, the focus was primarily on tangible heritage. However, the consequences of climate change, especially population migrations, have led to an awareness that climate change significantly impacts intangible heritage, which also requires safeguarding. This paper highlights the diverse ways in which climate change can negatively affect the preservation of intangible cultural heritage. It then examines the legal framework for protecting intangible cultural heritage in the context of climate change, identifying a normative gap in that protection. Finally, it explores initiatives designed to bridge this gap, as well as the role that Indigenous knowledge plays in this process.
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