Independent Researcher

The reduced predictability of climate impacts—compounded by other environmental and societal pressures—demands long-term adaptation in heritage protection that recognizes heritage as the product of ongoing, place-based adaptation rather than a static legacy. Many of the world’s ecosystems have been shaped by centuries of human habitation and traditional practices, forming biocultural systems—landscapes in which cultural heritage and natural ecosystems are intertwined. These systems reflect how, historically, communities have transformed their surroundings in response to environmental and social change. In parallel, their values, worldviews, and cultural responses to risk have evolved over extended periods. However, current heritage and climate adaptation frameworks often present resulting “good practices” as isolated examples of sustainable solutions rather than as part of a continuous resilience-building process. This overlooks the incremental nature of adaptation—the slow accumulation of knowledge that often materializes in tangible structures or exists at the intersection of tangible and intangible heritage, such as tools, techniques, and land-use practices. Instead, this study asks: What are the long-term processes through which knowledge becomes resilient? It argues that analyzing biocultural systems through their long-term adaptive dynamics offers valuable insight into how communities have sustained resilience and heritage under changing environmental conditions. Rather than isolating individual practices, the study follows the historical processes through which communities have shaped responses to risk and change over time. This approach offers a broader framework for understanding the role of culture in climate adaptation and avoids oversimplified readings of traditional knowledge. The research investigates this approach through a comparative case study methodology, guided by a structured site selection process that integrates international (UNESCO World Heritage and Biosphere Reserves) and national designations representing long-term human-nature interactions in France. Sites are evaluated based on their histories of long-standing water-related risks and their projected future vulnerability under climate change. The current focus includes a preliminary case study in the Camargue Biosphere Reserve. In this exploration, the study also contributes to modern heritage governance discussions, challenging the dominant emphasis on continuity. Current preservation approaches often leave little space for change or loss—reinforcing the static view of heritage. A gap remains in understanding how to protect the material dimensions of heritage while supporting communities facing dynamic environmental and social transformations. This study aims to bridge these two lines of inquiry, offering insights into how historical adaptation processes can inform future heritage management and climate adaptation strategies.