The National Strategy for the Protection of Cultural Heritage from the Impacts of Climate Change was recently presented by the Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni at the auditorium of the Acropolis Museum. “This is the first systematic effort to integrate the climate dimension into the management, protection, and promotion of cultural heritage in Greece, and one of the few internationally that incorporates and synthesizes updated and reliable guidelines,” emphasized Lina Mendoni, referring to the project, which integrates international standards from the UN and the EU (Cover photo: The archaeological site of Delos, Source: Ministry of Culture).

The National Strategy was developed within the framework of the project “Protection of Iconic Sites and Monuments of Cultural Heritage from Climate Change,” funded with €22,000,000 from the Recovery and Resilience Facility. This project forms part of the national effort to address the impacts of climate change in the cultural sector and marks a significant step toward strengthening the resilience of the country’s cultural heritage.

The National Strategy was designed by the Ministry of Culture, through the Directorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, in collaboration with the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the National Hellenic Research Foundation, having carried out detailed climate-risk assessments examining threats such as wildfires, flooding, extreme heat, landslides, and coastal erosion. Its development and implementation were carried out in close cooperation with the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection and the Ministry of Environment and Energy, ensuring a holistic and coordinated approach to safeguarding cultural heritage against the impacts of climate change.

(Source: https://www.amna.gr, https://www.culture.gov.gr)

Key elements of the strategy include:

  • Climate risk assessment across the country, considering exposure, vulnerability, and hazard levels
  • Preventive infrastructure projects, including fire protection, flood control, and landslide mitigation at vulnerable archaeological sites
  • Digital tools and platforms for evaluating risks and selecting tailored adaptation plans.
  • Monitoring and evaluation systems aligned with international indicators set at COP30 (2025) in Belém, Brazil
  • Training programs for Ministry of Culture staff on climate adaptation measures
  • International collaboration with the UN, UNESCO, and EU initiatives to integrate cultural heritage into global climate action

 (Source: https://www.tovima.com/culture/greece-unveils-plan-to-protect-monuments-from-climate-change/ )

More specifically, the National Strategy seeks to promote international collaboration, which includes, among other initiatives:

  • Establishing a framework for collaboration with 54 additional United Nations Member States (Group of Friends for Culture-Based Climate Action) to integrate cultural heritage into the priorities of the UNFCCC (adaptation and mitigation)
  • Maintaining systematic cooperation with UNESCO and other international organizations
  • Participating in the European Union Working Group on enhancing the resilience of cultural heritage to the impacts of climate change
  • Creating a dedicated program within the Forum of Ancient Civilizations and drafting a memorandum of cooperation with all member states, as well as establishing a network of contact points within the Forum to ensure coordination and coherence of activities in the field of cultural heritage protection from climate change
  • Participating in national and international research initiatives

(Source: https://www.culture.gov.gr)

Firefighting systems at the archaeological site of Mystras. Within the framework of the project, infrastructure and risk management interventions were also implemented, such as the installation of fire protection systems in Philippi and Mystras, flood protection works in Dion and Malia, as well as measures to mitigate landslides and rockfalls in Delphi. These interventions clearly reflect the transition from scientific knowledge and strategic planning to the implementation of concrete protection policies

Minister Lina Mendoni stressed, among others, that “the Ministry of Culture, since 2019, has been implementing a comprehensive program for the identification and assessment of climate risks, as well as for prevention and resilience-building, in alignment with international standards and in harmony with the broader National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change. Our aim is for it to serve as a reference framework for all relevant state institutions in safeguarding monuments and archaeological sites, while promoting the integration of cultural heritage management with climate resiliency. The National Strategy follows a long-term plan with a horizon extending to 2050, including intermediate targets every five years. It provides for adaptation plans for 40 archaeological sites by 2030 and makes use of modern technologies and planning tools.


“The National Strategy is structured around 4 pillars of action: Diagnosis, Monitoring, Prevention, and Response. These pillars do not operate in isolation, but in an interconnected and functionally sequential manner. They constitute a unified risk management cycle: they begin with the scientific understanding of threats, move on to systematic monitoring, organize prevention, and culminate in targeted field interventions. This is a structure that allows the Strategy to be translated into practical public policy,” added L. Mendoni. “It is part of a broader, dynamically evolving international, European, and national institutional framework, which in recent years has been gradually shaping a new approach to environmental governance and climate policy”.

Readiness drill at Mystras

The Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Giannis Kefalogiannis, stated that “the protection of monuments can no longer be limited to restoration after damage, but must be based on prevention, preparedness, and systematic planning.” He also referred, among others, to the cooperation developed in recent years between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, which was established with the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation in 2021 and further strengthened in subsequent years through more targeted actions, particularly in addressing the risk of wildfires. He also referred to the establishment of a special Fire Protection Regulation for archaeological sites and monuments, being developed jointly by the two ministries. This regulation provides for specific preventive measures, such as the systematic management of vegetation, improved access for firefighting forces, the provision of safe evacuation routes for visitors and staff, and the strengthening of preparedness procedures in emergency situations.

At the Minoan Palace of Malia in northern Crete, an integrated drainage network and upgraded protective canopies help safeguard the archaeological site from rainfall and erosion

The National Strategy for the Protection of Cultural Heritage from the Impacts of Climate Change represents the first comprehensive national effort to assess climate risk and design adaptation measures for the protection of cultural heritage. The methodology developed is based on a multidimensional approach to climate risk assessment, with a pilot application in 19 archaeological sites across the country. It serves as a reference framework for all relevant institutional and administrative levels—the Ministry of Culture, particularly the Ephorates of Antiquities, the competent ministries, regional and local authorities, as well as academic and research institutions and local communities—strengthening the connection between cultural heritage management and climate resilience. At the same time, it constitutes a dynamic strategic planning tool that can be adapted to new scientific data, updated climate projections, and evolving needs for the protection and management of cultural heritage.

(Source: https://www.amna.gr, https://www.culture.gov.gr )

TAGS: ARCHAEOLOGY | CLIMATE CRISIS | CULTURE | MONUMENTS