6th Annual Conference on Heritage Management Education and Practice

Centre for Heritage Management, Ahmedabad University, in collaboration with Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), is pleased to announce the 2025 edition of its Annual Conference on Heritage Management Education and Practice, focusing on Climate Change, Ecology, and Heritage Sustainability. This interdisciplinary conference invites academicians, students, researchers, and practitioners to explore the complex interactions between climate change, environmental changes, and cultural heritage.

Climate change is drastically altering the physical environment and intangible cultural heritage, including traditional knowledge systems, social practices, and community identities. Extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and habitat loss are displacing communities, leading to migration, loss of cultural identity, and food insecurity.

The impacts of climate change on cultural heritage extend beyond physical damage to historical sites, affecting traditional practices and eroding the social fabric of communities. As ecosystems change, indigenous ways of life face unprecedented challenges, disrupting intergenerational transmission of knowledge. While traditional ecological knowledge offers invaluable strategies for resilience, these methods alone are no longer sufficient due to the scale and unpredictability of contemporary environmental crises. Thus, integrating traditional knowledge with scientific advancements is essential for comprehensive climate adaptation strategies.

It is also critical to re-evaluate conventional solutions such as heritage tourism, community resettlement, and alternative livelihoods, as these often have unintended negative consequences, including the commodification of heritage and increased environmental strain. Furthermore, heritage sustainability efforts can sometimes conflict with ecological sustainability. This necessitates a more holistic cultural landscape approach to address climate challenges effectively, moving beyond isolated interventions by integrating cultural, environmental, and social dimensions. UNESCO’s initiatives, including the Policy Document on Climate Action for World Heritage and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), stress the dual role of heritage as both vulnerable to climate change and a resource for resilience. Recent global efforts emphasise safeguarding heritage sites while leveraging traditional knowledge for sustainability.

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If you have questions, you can write to us at: [email protected]