Skrekas: Climate crisis threatens our cultural and natural heritage |

“The climate crisis threatens every aspect of our way of life. The cultural and natural heritage, which is an integral part of our national identity, is not immune to this threat. And that is why we must act to protect it. And we have to do it now. ” This was stated by the Minister of Environment and Energy, Costas Skrekas, sending a clear message of action, during a high level event of the Greek government, held within the framework of COP 26, on the protection of cultural monuments from climate change.

In particular, he said, “phenomena such as increasing coastal erosion, severe flooding and fires pose a direct threat to the integrity of monuments and sites of world value.”

According to the minister, the combined actions that are expected to be taken, have to do with understanding the resilience of our cultural landmarks and assessing the vulnerability of the infrastructure of our cultural heritage sites in relation to the effects of climate change. We will also need to develop new and innovative tools to increase the resilience of cultural heritage sites and monuments.

Mr. Skrekas also made special reference to the need to strengthen the education of the younger generations, who will inevitably be called upon to continue the effort to tackle climate change in the future. “In this context, we must introduce educational programs in schools and universities,” the minister said. As he reminded, many of the monuments are included in the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, such as the Acropolis of Athens and the archeological sites of Olympia and Delphi. Therefore, “it is imperative to protect these monuments from the effects of climate change, as the protection of cultural and natural heritage is not only historically important. Heritage plays a central role in the development of intercultural understanding and in shaping the identity of a region. It also boosts tourism development, which in turn stimulates job creation and attracts investment. “

According to Mr. Skrekas, “overall, the preservation of cultural and natural heritage is an integral part of the transition to a sustainable economic model.” However, as he mentioned, the record high temperatures and forest fires last summer in Greece and other Mediterranean countries, are a typical example of how our region is rapidly evolving into a hotbed of climate change. “The political message is clear. There is no time to lose. That is why this initiative was designed to raise public awareness and encourage effective global action. “

The panel was coordinated by the Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, George Amyras, while UNESCO & WMO were co-organizers of the relevant Greek initiative.