Vernacular heritage sites encompass customs, practices, places, objects, artistic expressions, and values that are innate to a particular place and time. Climate knowledge of the particular place and time is embedded in vernacular settlements and lifestyles along with other environmental, cultural, and societal determinants of the place. Rebuilt, restored, and adapted, vernacular settlements evolved with changing climate, cultural practices, community aspirations, and
a gradual influx of modernization and urbanization. However, its legacy —as represented by traditional houses from the pre-industrial period that were built by laypeople— is challenged by climate and disaster risks, e.g., loss of lands, food sources, water resources, intangible values, and displacement. Although the impacts of climate change combined with anthropic influences have been recognized as a threat to cultural heritage by scholars, this underappreciated form
of cultural heritage has not been the focus of the integrated understanding risks of climate and disaster discussions. The aim of this dissertation, therefore, is to reveal the deteriorations caused by changing climate and anthropic interventions on vernacular heritage at both spatial planning decisions such as urban development projects and at local level practices such as maladaptation from the case of Fındıklı of Rize in Turkiye. The factors behind the deterioration of vernacular heritage sites under changing climate and the ways to achieve climate resilience are analysed through interviews with local people, the observations of on-site visits conducted in January and July 2019 in addition to mapping. ... Read more

The national government of Turkey has recently confirmed plans to build a new shipping canal within the borders of the country’s most populated city. The Istanbul Canal Project is planned to run parallel to the narrow water strait of the Bosporus (the Strait of Istanbul), by connecting the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea. The initial idea of an alternative shipping canal for Istanbul can be traced back to the 16th century. Even so, the contemporary plan immediately set off a large number of political and environmental debates leaving Turkey at a crossroads. In this blog, Didem Yerli, Gül Aktürk, and Esma Dolgun first discuss the various elements that are commonly recognized in the country’s narrative regarding national economic prosperity, then critically discuss the Canal Project's environmental implications. ... Read more

This paper systematically reviews publications for the period 2002–2020 addressing the barriers to climate adaptation of cultural and natural heritage in the Northern and Southern poles. Climate change and its socio-economic implications deteriorate different forms of cultural and natural heritage, including archaeological sites, historic buildings, and indigenous heritage in the polar regions. Climate adaptation of cultural and natural heritage of polar regions is challenged due to the barriers, constraints, and limitations of various factors such as lack of awareness of polar heritage, remoteness of the sites, and lack of tools and facilities. This paper first presents the general characteristics of 76 documents out of 218. It then analyzes the barriers derived from the content analysis of the publications. Despite growing interest in polar studies, incomplete and inaccurate data and inventories and facilities and tools as technological constraints negatively affect building climate adaptation of polar heritage. Following that, existing regulations and organizations are found to be ineffective and slow to address the issues of communication and collaboration for building climate adaptation of polar heritage. The findings will discuss the policy implications of understanding barriers and tackling them to facilitate the climate adaptation of polar heritage. ... Read more

Port regions are hubs connecting a nation and its hinterland to the rest of the world. Port cities' authorities and actors have always dealt with pressures and compromises in the sharing of space between agriculture, tourism, industry, and urban developments. The limited availability of land created conflicting uses over time especially when industrial sites disappear from the built environment to leave a polluted soil and water. The current literature discusses in detail changes in industrial land use, pollution of industries, and urban sanitary issues. Yet, only a few studies investigate the consequences of past industrial and urban developments on the health of citizens. This paper thus asks: How have authorities considered historical industrial activities in spatial planning policies and what are their consequences on public health in port cities? Of all pollutants, oil appears to be the widest spread with long term risks to human health. Oil industrial development in the port city of Dunkirk in the north of France can demonstrate this influence of past land uses. The objective is to highlight the impacts of past polluting activities over current populations' health in port city regions and the potential consequences of historically contaminated sites on public health. ... Read more

Vernacular heritage is undergoing rapid changes caused by the effects of the changing climate, such as loss of lands, biodiversity, building materials, integrity, traditional knowledge, and maladaptation. However, little is known about the causes of deterioration in vernacular heritage sites under changing climate and landscape conditions from a user perspective. This paper provides insights into the perceptions of local people on climate change and how it has changed the landscape in the Fındıklı district of Rize in the Eastern Black Sea area of Turkey. The study proposed analyzing vernacular architecture as a heritage category for localizing the management of climate change impacts using field survey, on-site observations, and unstructured interviews with local people. The results of the shared concerns regarding the changing climate and landscapes from a local perspective evoke the use of narratives as a tool for local authorities to include local communities in building resilience of cultural heritage to climate change. ... Read more

Steep slopes, rivers, a rainy climate, and rich vegetation: the region of Fındıklı and the city of Rize (Türkiye) have been shaped by humans living with water. To understand the region’s traditional settlements, vernacular buildings and local culture, it is crucial to analyze its geomorphological setting. Yet, despite the importance of climate and geomorphology for understanding how living with water has shaped everyday artifacts, water-related heritage in this region is not well documented. This article makes a case for seeing cultural and natural heritage as connected and to protect already sustainable practices and use them for future development. ... Read more

The designation of cultural heritage, especially the World Cultural Heritage Site, is extensively discussed regarding its impacts on tourism destination branding. However, the impact of the designation(s) of World and/or National Cultural Heritage Site on affective city image and behavioural intention is still under-researched. This study aims to investigate the respective impact of visitors’ awareness of the world and national heritage status on existential authenticity perceived at the heritage site, affective city image, and behavioural intention. The quantitative research method was employed to test the proposed structural model. A structured questionnaire was sent, and 363 valid responses were collected from domestic visitors at the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty, China. The results demonstrate that cultural heritage designation, whether it is a world or a national one, when recognised by domestic visitors, determines the shaping of a positive affective image of the city hosting the heritage site, as well as visitors’ future intentions. However, visitor awareness of the world status and national status does not condition the affective city image and behavioural intentions in the same manner. This research takes the lead to stress the significant role of national heritage status in city branding and urges managerial attention ... Read more

Peer-reviewed article on website The Arctic Institute. Published on 25/01/2022. ... Read more

Sea snot is spreading over the Sea of Marmara in Turkey. This slimy substance is a symptom of marine pollution, and is threatening life both under and above water. Based on their own observations and the preliminary findings of experts, Gül Aktürk and Stephan Hauser discuss the deeper-lying issues of sea snot in the Sea of Marmara: the failure on all levels of governance to ban pollution on land and in the sea. This blog highlights the urgency and importance of a better management of water resources through better cooperation and coordination of various stakeholders. ... Read more

The district of Fındıklı in the Northeast city of Rize in Turkey is environmentally and culturally rich with its rural, built, and natural heritage. The city of Rize has been experiencing more frequent and severe rainfall, flooding, and landslides in the last decade. River flooding along the coast and in the center of the city is destroying infrastructure and residential areas, while landslides are becoming more destructive and repetitive in the hinterland of the district. Vernacular heritage is particularly exposed to the catastrophic consequences of floods and landslides, e.g., through the deterioration of historic building façades. This paper aims to identify the vernacular settlements under the threat of natural disasters in the selected case area. ArcGIS software was used to reveal the changes in spatial planning since 1969 in combination with geo referenced built and natural heritage sites at risk in the district. The comparison between the maps of 1969 and 2019 aerial pictures on ArcGIS illustrates the river transformation, coastal change, urban sprawl, and deforestation as threats to vernacular heritage in the area. Furthermore, this paper will highlight landslide-prone sites in the hinterland and river floods on the coastal area on the current map to show heritage sites at risk. The findings of this study intend to present the accelerated effects of floods and landslides along with the mismanagement of land use and rivers on vernacular heritage at a district scale to inform decision- and policymakers on needed actions. ... Read more

Water has served and sustained societies throughout history. Understanding the complex and diverse water systems of the past is key to devising sustainable development for the future with regard to socioeconomic structures, policies, and cultures. Today, past systems form the framework for preservation and reuse as well as for new proposals. In this course, you will learn how to identify the spatial, social and cultural aspects of water heritage in your environment. You will investigate real situations, assess specific issues and evaluate the impact of potential measures, following existing expertise on water heritage and water management traditions as a model for your own practice. ... Read more

Cultural landscapes reflect a cultural group’s continuous and evolved interactions with natural resources and the environment. By now, climate change has become the most significant threat to cultural landscapes, e.g., food security, water scarcity, and displacement. The cultural and natural heritage of cultural landscapes can enhance their value as integrated systems and offer solutions to the challenges brought by climate change. Although exploring tangible impacts of climate change has received sufficient attention in cultural landscapes, a systematic understanding of the main barriers has been overlooked in building climate resilience in cultural landscapes. This paper aimed to explore the main barriers to building climate resilience in cultural landscapes. The research methodology was based on the content analysis of 359 documents published between 1995 and 2020. The results revealed that the integrated approach in documentation and assessments was the most quoted technical barrier. In addition, the lack of a regulatory framework for supporting effective collaboration and cooperation has been discussed as the most significant institutional obstacle to climate resilience in cultural landscapes. ... Read more

Climate extremes affect cities politically, economically, and socially. Throughout history, societies dealt with many climate-induced disasters which resulted in monetary and non-monetary losses. While acknowledging the climate disasters in the city of Rize in Turkey, the local communities have sometimes failed to recover from them. Re-thinking past weather-induced hazards such as droughts, floods, and landslides in the city depict how the past societies and authorities responded to these disasters. Therefore, the impacts of past climate events can draw a delicate picture of the disaster preparation, recovery from climate-induced hazards. The perception of ‘living together with disasters’ has evolved over time. The earlier documentation of weather-related disasters since the 1920s reveals a lot of information on the past decision processes. This paper investigates the societal impacts and responses to slow and sudden onset climate events such as droughts, floods, wind surges, and landslides through national archival of the Republic of Turkey in the past. The results of this study reveal the impacts of the best practices and failures in terms of decision making on the societies and what we can learn from them to manage disasters and overcome the emerging issues of environmental justice and inclusion. ... Read more

Climate change is borderless, and its impacts are not shared equally by all communities. It causes an imbalance between people by creating a more desirable living environment for some societies while erasing settlements and shelters of some others. Due to floods, sea level rise, destructive storms, drought, and slow-onset factors such as salinization of water and soil, people lose their lands, homes, and natural resources. Catastrophic events force people to move voluntarily or involuntarily. The relocation of communities is a debatable climate adaptation measure which requires utmost care with human rights, ethics, and psychological well-being of individuals upon the issues of discrimination, conflict, and security. As the number of climate-displaced populations grows, the generations-deep connection to their rituals, customs, and ancestral ties with the land, cultural practices, and intangible cultural heritage become endangered. However, intangible heritage is often overlooked in the context of climate displacement. This paper presents reflections based on observations regarding the intangible heritage of voluntarily displaced communities. It begins by examining intangible heritage under the threat of climate displacement, with place-based examples. It then reveals intangible heritage as a catalyst to building resilient communities by advocating for the cultural values of indigenous and all people in climate action planning. It concludes the discussion by presenting the implications of climate displacement in existing intangible heritage initiatives. This article seeks to contribute to the emerging policies of preserving intangible heritage in the context of climate displacement. ... Read more

Climate change including the rise of sea-level, flooding, increase in air and ocean temperature, and drought are major threats to cultural heritage sites globally. Even vernacular heritage–built by the local people as a response to surrounding conditions taking into account the local environment, climate, and culture—is now challenged by the changing climate. The ICOMOS Charter on Built Vernacular Heritage (1999) defines vernacular buildings as “the traditional and natural way by which communities house themselves.” Although vernacular heritage is considered to be climate-resilient due to its sensitivity to the local environment, extreme rainfalls, floods, and landslides are damaging the settlements, particularly in the case of in Fındıklı of Rize in the northeast part of Turkey. ... Read more

The rural vernacular architecture in the highlands of the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey has survived over 200 years, yet the local traditions of craftsmanship in wood are disappearing. As these craft skills are no longer being handed down, the value of the intangible heritage that lies behind the vernacular architecture is no longer being promoted, despite the importance of woodworking in the historical evolution of the area.

This paper reviews the longstanding tradition of woodworking and its relationship with the local community. Based on unstructured interviews with local people, analysis of archival sources and on-site observations, the study first highlights the use of wood in daily life, including everyday objects, decoration and carving on traditional furniture. Then it examines current local practices, the interconnected value of the built heritage, and the loss of those values in construction today. I ask how woodworking was used in the past and how people can now promote it. I will discuss the continuity of this legacy particularly through oral history, and how better public inclusion could safeguard this element of intangible heritage in the future. ... Read more

The various determinants of vernacular architecture embrace ethnic cultural diversity, morals, climate, cultural and geographical setting, topography, political attitude, religion and language spoken which shaped the rural built heritage in Fındıklı in the Black Sea region. Yet, climate change hazards such as river flooding, more frequent erosion and landslides affect not only local communities’ livelihoods but also the rural cultural landscape. There are important lessons this rural landscape as heritage holds, in terms of their past climate practices, that we can learn from including craftsmanship, traditional construction techniques, materials and local practices to tackle the current and future conditions of environmental change. ... Read more

The conservation movement of historic buildings has shifted in an environmental direction. One of the concerns in the preservation of coastal towns in developing countries is the detrimental effect of climate change and the cost of its adaptation. In the Black Sea basin of Turkey, where the main rivers merge with the Black Sea, flash floods accelerate the pressure on the urban built heritage and threaten the local economy. Thus, mansion owners experience climate-driven changes in crops failure. The economic development of the shoreline has destroyed most of the mansions while the remaining ones lost their coastal functions through incompatible interventions. The severity of these erosions and floods has increased over time. Sensitivities of historic buildings to climate change vary depending on different geographic locations and communities; thus adaptation measures changes from coastal towns to countryside. The aim of this article is therefore to explore the key challenges for the chosen case study area and local vulnerabilities in the coastal communities. Through interviewing various stakeholders from the coastal communities, the research aims to explore the key challenges, and explores coping strategies to face them. This paper starts by documenting the local construction techniques of waterfront mansions in the Eastern Black Sea region in Turkey through local and national archival sources. It then analyzes the cases of flood damage on the coastal community and vulnerabilities of historic buildings in the coastal towns along the Black Sea. The research suggests solutions for climate adaptation policies for the coastal mansions in the selected case area. ... Read more