The Crinan Canal assessment will break new ground by applying the full process to the heritage values and associated community of a location which is not a World Heritage site.
Heron, UNESCO Chair on Climate Change Vulnerability of Natural and Cultural Heritage, and Day, a Principal Research Fellow, are both based at Australia’s James Cook University.
Their work has helped develop the Climate Vulnerability Index as a way of rapidly assessing the effects climate change could have on important heritage places.
The Scottish project begins with the Crinan Canal before potentially widening to consider the canal network across the Highlands and Lowlands.
Local knowledge is forming part of the assessment, with members of the community in Ardrishaig contributing to the study last week.
A workshop in Falkirk will now examine the potential consequences of climate change for the canal itself and the wider implications for communities, the local economy and water management in Argyll and Bute.
Experts in civil engineering, ecology, habitats, forestry, water and land management and the local economy will contribute.
Scotland’s canals are Scheduled Monuments, reflecting their importance to the country’s economic and cultural development and their Georgian engineering heritage.
Scottish Canals Heritage Manager Chris O’Connell said:
“Scotland’s canals are recognised as Scheduled Monuments because of the contribution they have made to the nation’s economic and cultural development as well as being examples of superb Georgian engineering.
“It is well-known that the canals are important in driving tourism and economic regeneration, as well as playing a growing and important role in ecology, wellbeing and active travel.
“Just how much our landscapes and future management of climate change depend upon them, that’s less widely appreciated, and these are among the topics of the research.
“Once published, our CVI report will join a high profile, global library, creating a strong case for funding and policy focus on our heritage canals.”
Heron said:
“Climate change is the fastest growing global threat to a wide range of heritage places around the world.
“Many places are already experiencing significant negative impacts and degradation.
“As climate change intensifies, the impacts can result in deterioration or even loss of the values that are significant for these special places.”
The findings from Crinan could ultimately help shape how Scotland protects and manages a canal network whose role now extends far beyond the purpose for which it was originally built.
