Gathering indigenous knowledge to mitigate climate crisis – ICCROM-FAR’s Net Zero: Heritage for Climate Action

Recognising that climate change is a complex crisis rooted in historical inequalities and unsustainable practices, the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property- ICCROM launched the Net Zero: Heritage for Climate Action project to harness Indigenous and traditional knowledge in the battle against climate change.

Supported generously by the Swedish Postcode Foundation, this two-year initiative is part of ICCROM’s FAR (First Aid and Resilience for Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis) programme aims to establish a global framework for assessing climate-related risks to both heritage and communities.

This paper shares the four phases of implementation of this Project and the actions planned by the five multidisciplinary teams and communities engaged to develop and field-test viable climate solutions founded on indigenous knowledge and backed by science at five climate hotspots in Brazil, Egypt, India, Sudan, and Uganda.

KEYWORDS: prevention, climate-related risks, cultural heritage, local communities