On 11 April 2024, Sophie Starrenburg, Assistant Professor at the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies, organised a workshop on the theme of 'Climate Change and Cultural Heritage: Moving from Heritage Loss to Reparation' at Tilburg Law School.
In recent years it has become evident that the connections between cultural heritage and climate change cannot be ignored. In many parts of the globe, such threats are no longer 'potential': climate change is already deeply affecting the ability of countless communities to enjoy their cultural heritage.
During the workshop, participants reflected on how cultural heritage law and governance frame and respond to ideas of heritage loss in the context of climate change (or, indeed, how they fail to do so). Participants also explored how heritage law and governance can provide a horizon of reparation for states or communities affected by climate-induced heritage loss, situating these initiatives within a broader politics of reparation for historical injustices, such as colonialism.
Workshop participants were drawn from a wide range of fields, including archaeology, anthropology, critical heritage studies, history, law, and legal geography. The types of cultural heritage at stake in the presenters' work and practice were similarly wide-ranging, with presentations focusing on intangible cultural heritage, cultural landscapes, monuments, archaeological sites, and the museum sector.
The workshop was generously supported by Tilburg Law School and was part of a research week organised by the 'Constitutionalising in the Anthropocene' research group at Tilburg Law School.
