The Green Cluster, a collaboration of four Horizon Europe projects – TRIQUETRA, RescueME, THETIDA, and STECCI – has published a new White Paper on “Cultural Heritage, Climate Adaptation and Disaster Resilience.” The development of the White Paper was coordinated by TRIQUETRA.
A joint effort across four Horizon Europe projects
The Green Cluster “Climate Effects Team” brings together projects that work at the interface of cultural heritage, climate change, and disaster risk management. Through a series of joint meetings, exchanges and collaborative activities, the four projects identified common challenges and synergies emerging from their work in different European contexts.
Building on these discussions, the White Paper was developed as a shared strategic document that reflects the perspectives and experiences of all four projects:
- TRIQUETRA
- RescueME
- THETIDA
- STECCI
(TRIQUETRA may wish to include a short 1–2 line description for each project here.)
Focus and key themes of the White Paper
The White Paper examines how cultural heritage can play an active role in strengthening Europe’s resilience to climate-related and other natural or human-induced hazards. It highlights:
- Technology integration and data interoperability
How digital tools, models and monitoring systems can be better connected and aligned to support decision-making. - Data sharing and standardisation
The need for common approaches, open standards and shared infrastructures that enable heritage- and risk-related data to be used across different sectors. - Societal engagement and community-centred approaches
The importance of working with local communities, heritage stakeholders and civil society to co-create knowledge and solutions. - Funding continuity and sustainability
Challenges related to fragmented, short-term project-based funding and the need for longer-term support for implementation and maintenance. - Policy alignment and multi-level governance
How European, national and local policy frameworks can better recognise and integrate cultural heritage within climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction strategies.
Recommendations for policy and practice
Based on these insights, the White Paper proposes concrete recommendations targeting:
- Policymakers and public authorities, to more explicitly integrate cultural heritage into climate and risk governance.
- Researchers and heritage professionals, to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and data interoperability.
- Funding bodies and programme designers, to support long-term, cross-sectoral initiatives that extend beyond individual project cycles.
By doing so, the document positions cultural heritage not only as something to be protected, but as a driver of resilience, innovation and sustainable development in Europe.
Intended audience
The White Paper is designed as a resource for:
- Researchers and research infrastructures
- Cultural heritage institutions and practitioners
- Civil protection and disaster risk management authorities
- Urban and regional planners
- Policymakers at EU, national and local level
- All stakeholders working at the intersection of heritage, climate adaptation and disaster risk management
Access the White Paper
The Green Cluster White Paper is available for download here:
https://triquetra-project.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Green-Cluster-White-Paper_part_1-1.pdf