Heritage Management in Iceland in Times of Changing Climate 4.5.2017 Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson
Minjastofnun Íslands The Cultural Heritage Agency of Iceland The Cultural Heritage Agency of Iceland is an administrative institution that oversees the protection of Icelandic archaeological and built heritage. MÍ controls two funds, the Archaeological heritage Fund and the Architectural heritage Fund. The funds have the primary role of safeguarding, maintaining and researching protected and listed or scheduled cultural heritage. Director General Research and Dissemination Department Overseeing research and registration Foreign Relations Regulations, standards and quality Issues Environment and Planning Department Planning and environmental impact assessment Guidance for renovations and repairs Signs and appearance Department of Regional Cultural Heritage Managers Development of projects in regions Assessments and surveillance Coordination Cultural Heritage Councils Heritage and changing climate in Iceland Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson may 2017
Heritage and Climate change Changing ecosystems Increased and/or changing vegetation More rainfall Various effects on preservation of archaeological remains As well as effects on standing buildings etc. More severe spring flooding is expected (while there is snow in the mountains to melt) Retreating of glaciers and patches of ice Archaeology being uncovered Thawing of permafrost Not much of a problem in Iceland, although it covers 8% of the country its all above 800m o.s.l. More frequent and extreme weather conditions Wind erosion Coastal erosion Rising sea level Counter effects landrise and changes in gravitational field as large ice mass disappears from the arctic Other effects more specific to Iceland: Increased subglacial geothermal/volcanic activity followed by glacial outburst floods - Jökulhlaup Heritage and changing climate in Iceland Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson may 2017
Heritage and changing climate in Iceland Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson may 2017
Ólafur Sigurðsson Heritage and changing climate in Iceland Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson may 2017
Q-type : late 10th century Heritage and changing climate in Iceland Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson may 2017
Increased coastal erosion? A lot of sites being lost around the coast More reports of sites in danger General feeling among landowners that it is increasing Measurements where available rather substantuate that Heritage and changing climate in Iceland Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson may 2017
Heritage and changing climate in Iceland Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson may 2017
Climate change and coastal erosion Expected rise in sea level 18-59 cm (1m+) at the end of the century Affects will be less in Iceland for two connected reasons: 1) Large parts of the island are rising as the weight of the ice is lifted 2) gravitational changes following loss of ice mass in the north are expected to even out the increase in water volume Unfrozen ground - Increased coastal erosion can be expected when waves are hitting unfrozen ground in more extent Less sea ice Effects of less ice on wave velocity, increase in wave hight for north and west coast? There is less sea ice now than ever before in the last 800 year. No sea ice in the North Atlantic ocean in the summer time at the end of the century More frequent and voilent storms are expected The most damage is done when storm surges and hightide go hand in hand - sealevels rise by 1 cm for each millibar that pressure decreeses Heritage and changing climate in Iceland Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson may 2017
Areas most susceptible to coastal erosion Ketubjörg í Skagafirði Feykir Silty or soft soil is if course not much restance to wave forces Sand- and gravel beaches are as well unstable and can change quickly Greater difference between high and low tide around the west coast Most of the bedrock in Iceland is rather friable Ocian currents, wind, frost and thawing action all contribute to the same effect Heritage and changing climate in Iceland Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson may 2017
Other contributing factors to coastal erosion Overgrazing and trampleling of larger animals. Rodents are not much of a problem in Iceland but birds can be, puffins for example nest in holes in the ground as do more speaces fo birds. Changes in ocean ecology? Strandminjar í hættu Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson Apríl 2017
Strandminjar í hættu Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson Apríl 2017
Sea urchin Lumpfish Erlendur Jónsson Strandminjar í hættu Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson Apríl 2017
Kollsvíkur- og Láganúpsver í Vesturbyggð Strandminjar í hættu Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson Apríl 2017
State of knowledge We don t have a comprehensive oversight of the situation regarding heritage remains affected by climate change We lack information on: The extent of the problem The rate of coastal erosion and other threats Number of sites threatened Types of archaeology What is already lost and what we are loosing! Melar í Melasveit Þjóðminjasafn Íslands Strandminjar í hættu Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson Apríl 2017
Surveyed sites Age protected visable remains estimated ca. 250.000 (20-25% surveyed) Listed sites ca. 500 Surveying mostly commercial, done in connection with construction and planning for municipalities What gets left out? Common farmland, deserted areas, inland walleys and outermost peninsulas A lot of coastal archaeology, especially sites of old fishing stations which where of corse placed as close to the fishing grounds as possible in areas that are isolated today Other survey work Research projects Special projects run by Minjastofnun Reassessment and surveying of listed sites Surveying of coastal archaeology Strandminjar í hættu Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson Apríl 2017
Surveying of coastal areas by the Skagafjordur Heritage Museum Shore walked, ca. 150km, everything wihin 100m from the shore registered. In all 850 ruins found or registered Of visible ruins 29% had already been damaged or more or less lost (mostly to erosion), 36% going to be damaged in foreseeable future. Only 26% not considered to be in any danger. 9% not possible to give a criteria of this sort. Information on 168 ruins that where either lost to coastal erosion or notfound = 20% of the whole. Not threaten ed [VALUE] Visible remains other [VALUE] Threaten ed [VALUE] Damaged [VALUE] Unknown amount of other remains not previously known. Strandminjar í hættu Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson Apríl 2017
Kolkuós í Skagafirði Strandminjar í hættu Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson Apríl 2017
Siglunes í Siglufirði Fornleifastofnun Íslands 2012 Fornleifastofnun Íslands 2012 Fornleifastofnun Íslands 2012 Fornleifastofnun Íslands 2012 Fornleifastofnun Íslands 2012 Strandminjar í hættu Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson Apríl 2017
Siglunes Fjólublá lína = strönd 1954-1958 Gul lína = gróður 1954-58 Rauð lína: Gróður 2009 Eythor E Fornleifar á Siglunesi í Merkt Siglufirði inn á loftmynd frá 2000 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur5uyja5ewc Strandminjar í hættu Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson Apríl 2017
Siglunes í Siglufirði Strandminjar í hættu Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson Apríl 2017
1.Research Cleaning of profiles Coring Test trenches Excavations 2.Protection Sea defense Repairing/maintaining Relocate/move 3.Surveillance Registration, measurements Public participation Byggðasafn Skagfirðinga 2015 Strandminjar í hættu Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson Apríl 2017
Prioritization Archeological clusters and cultural landscapes complete pictures Larger fishing stations Export-import docks Sites that are considered typical Atypical or special sites Conservation and scientific value Aesthetic and experience value Strandminjar í hættu Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson Apríl 2017 Byggðasafn Skagfirðinga.
Next steps? Mapping of sites threatened by climate change and related processes gathering data the necessary key to be able to prioritize action Surveillance monitor areas and sites threatened by climate change public involvement Putting heritage sites (where feasible) to use educational purposes and tourism new sites made accessible and information past on Strandminjar í hættu Guðmundur St. Sigurðarson Apríl 2017
Takk fyrir! Byggðasafn Skagfirðinga 2015