America’s most treasured cultural landmarks are under immediate and growing threat from the climate crisis. A recent study by Climate X, a leading climate risk data analytics company, identified three of the United States’ UNESCO World Heritage Sites as being at risk.Olympic National Park, Everglades National Parkand Chaco Culture National Historical Park— are particularly vulnerable to climate-related disasters.
Climate X Studied the potential impacts of climate change on 500 UNESCO World Heritage Site Every place on the planet has been analyzed for physical hazards such as flooding, coastal erosion, landslides, and extreme weather. In the United States, ClimateX found three locations at high risk of irreversible impacts by 2050, under worst-case projections of continued high levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
Used by insurance companies and governments, ClimateX’s Spectra platform predicts climate risk up to 100 years in the future. By providing precise, location-specific data on 16 types of climate hazards, Spectra enables informed decisions to protect historical sites and modern infrastructure.
Olympic National Park, Washington
Known for its rugged coastline and mountainous forests, the intact temperate rainforest is under major threat from river flooding, surface flooding and landslides. Additionally, warmer summers are threatening the plants and animals adapted to this environment. Olympic National Park With no option to migrate north, the park’s previously wet climate may be lost, putting the park’s natural beauty and biodiversity, including some species found nowhere else on Earth, at serious risk.
Everglades National Park, Florida
A unique wetland ecosystem Everglades Highly vulnerable to coastal flooding Sea level rise, Increased frequency of hurricanes, Extreme heatdroughts, storm surges and more, these climatic phenomena can severely disrupt the delicate balance of this habitat. Many endangered species.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico
The remains of a sophisticated ancient civilization remain, Chaco Culture National Historical Park It faces medium to high risk from a range of climatic hazards. Once the center of the Chaco civilization, which flourished between AD 900 and 1150, the park is known for its sophisticated architecture, intricate road systems, and ceremonial complexes. The park contains well-preserved ruins of large stone buildings known as Great Houses, which provide insight into the social, economic, and cultural practices of the ancient Pueblo peoples.
The Chaco culture is also known for its astronomical alignments, with structures aligned with solar and lunar cycles, providing valuable information about the astronomical knowledge and practices of the Chacoans. The site continues to be a center for anthropological, archaeological and archaeoastronomical research. Extreme heat and heavy rains, and associated flooding, could further erode the ancient structures and hinder research.
Your choices have an impact
ClimateX’s findings are a call to action to protect cultural heritage and a reminder of the wider social and economic impacts of climate change. “The potential impacts of climate change on these sites are enormous,” said Lukky Ahmed, CEO and co-founder of ClimateX. “But it’s not just the heritage of the past that’s at risk – it’s the present that’s at risk.”
The climate crisis is the result of countless individual decisions made over generations. From how we power our homes to how we travel and how we consume resources, each choice contributes to increasing greenhouse gas emissions and threatens the planet’s cultural and natural heritage.
The path out of this environmental disaster is not one that any of us can walk alone. It starts with each of us, but it also requires a collective effort. By consciously reducing our carbon emissions, adopting sustainable practices, and curbing wasteful habits, we can change the future trajectory of our climate. In doing so, we can protect the world’s most treasured places and ensure a livable planet for future generations.
