Assessing Vulnerability and Prioritization of Cultural Assets for Climate Change Planning in Collier County, Southwest Florida

Rachael Kangas (), Sara Ayers-Rigsby, Michael Savarese, Vladimir Paramygin and Y. Peter Sheng
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Rachael Kangas: Florida Public Archaeology Network, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
Sara Ayers-Rigsby: Florida Public Archaeology Network, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
Michael Savarese: Department of Marine and Earth Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL 33965, USA
Vladimir Paramygin: Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA
Y. Peter Sheng: Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 11, 1-27

Abstract: Cultural resources are often overlooked in climate change and resiliency planning, despite them being integral to community identity and the restoration of a sense of normalcy after significant weather events. This vulnerability assessment demonstrates how cultural resources can be included in planning efforts, and how they can be prioritized based on specific criteria. To complete this assessment, a working group with local land managers and cultural resource professionals was formed, and members employed a sophisticated Geo Tool, ACUNE (Adaptation of Coastal Urban and Natural Ecosystems) for climate adaptation, to predict how cultural resources throughout Collier County, Florida, would be impacted in two specific climate scenarios. The working group selected ten significant sites in the county and used ACUNE to prioritize action at these sites, using a matrix of hazard exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and the environmental, social, and economic consequences of the loss of these sites. Based on the results of our case study vulnerability assessment of cultural resources in Collier County, the next decade (2020 to 2030) has the potential to increase the number of sites at risk of storm flooding from 267 to 318, alerting managers that immediate action is needed for the sites of greatest value. The analysis of 10 case study sites is presented to demonstrate an approach for land managers and other cultural resource professionals to prioritize action at their own sites.

Keywords: climate change; resiliency planning; archaeology; site prioritization; sea level rise mapping; vulnerability analysis; sea level rise; cultural resources; adaptation planning; Geo Tool (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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