KUCHING: Climate change on a global level has made its palpable impact on the environment such as accelerated rising of sea levels, more intense heat waves, elevated temperatures, and shrinking glaciers, to name a few.
While this in itself is sufficiently unsettling, another aspect to consider is this devastating phenomenon’s toll on a range of natural heritage sites all around the world.
A report compiled by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), Union of Concerned Scientists, and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) published in 2016 listed 31 natural and cultural World Heritage sites in 29 countries that were already experiencing the debilitating effects of climate change.
They mentioned that numerous iconic statues located on Easter Island (an island in the South Pacific) may eventually be lost to the sea due to coastal erosion, while many coral reefs including the Great Barrier Reef in Australia have suffered coral bleaching due to increased water temperatures.
Losing heritage sites would be akin to losing the stories they symbolise and entail.
Case study: The sting of climate change in Borneo caves
Associate Professor Dr Darren Curnoe of University of New South Wales, who has been conducting archaeological research at the Niah Caves in Miri, said that heritage sites here in Borneo such as caves do experience a very real impact from extreme storms and extended drought seasons.
“Worse storms may increase the amount of water damage in caves for instance, while long-term droughts can cause sediments and soil in caves to crack and naturally fall apart,” he said, adding that his team had noticed that some of their sediments had actually developed large cracks due to drought.
“Another effect of long dry spells is that some trees start to die off and caves start to get a lot more exposed to the weather,” he remarked.
Curnoe further said that rock paintings present in these caves would then start fading rapidly due to the increased exposure to light and heat.
He sounded that these detrimental effects may not have been experienced as much previously, but they were becoming more common with global warming.
“They may have survived for thousands of years but suddenly with global warming, they can disappear very quickly indeed.
“We need to start thinking about how the weather is going to change, what that would mean for these places, and how we can best manage these sites to ensure that future generations can still visit them,” he advised.
Anthropologist and archaeologist Professor Paul S. C. Tacon of Griffith University pointed out that another natural threat to rock art such as those found in the Painted Cave, which is part of the Niah Caves complex, is the growth of green algae.
“Green algal growth sometimes covers the paints and sometimes it retreats.
“It is imperative to ensure that this green algal growth does not cover the paintings and totally destroy them,” he stressed.
Mitigating the effects of climate change in caves
To diminish the effects of light exposure on rock paintings, Curnoe said that more trees or artificial structures could be installed to recreate shade.
“We could also manage the moisture in the caves artificially to simulate conditions that were around for thousands of years,” he commented.
With respect to green algal growth on cave walls and ceilings at Niah, Tacon said that samples had been collected for analysis to determine the exact species of algae present.
“This would give an indication on how best to control the algal growth,” he said.
He explained that there may some ways of stemming the growth without the use of harsh chemicals — for instance by removing some moisture in the cavern’s environment as it builds up in the wet season.
Digitalisation efforts and using replicas
As technology advances, other avenues such as digitalisation and replication may be one of the solutions to protecting heritage sites.
Thailand-based senior specialist in archaeology Dr Noel Hidalgo Tan shared the example of the rock art in the Cave of Altamira, Spain, which had deteriorated due to water vapour in the breath of visitor crowds.
To alleviate the problem, a replica cave and museum were constructed nearby.
Tacon suggested that instead of allowing tourists to physically traverse certain vulnerable locations, virtual access could be provided.
“You can have virtual reality (VR) rock art experiences and digital reproductions in museums,” he said.
“At the moment, we have done 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry at the Painted Cave so you may be able to visit the site with virtual headsets one day,” he remarked.
However, Angelina Jong, president of the Heritage Society of Rajah Charles Brooke Memorial Hospital, raised a point that digitalisation has its limits as well.
“It may work well with smaller objects and prints, but not so much when you’re talking about a huge place — Niah Caves for example.
“How can you replicate the true ambience and experience of going to these caves?” she questioned.
She believed that these were intangible factors which could not be recreated via digitalisation.
Education and community engagement
Curnoe highlighted that one of the key factors that need to be addressed in sustainable heritage tourism management was the involvement of the local community.
“We need to get them on board and engage them, make them understand the significance of these extraordinary global heritage places,” he said.
According to him, these sites also played the role of providing sustainable livelihoods for the locals.
“It connects visitors to the locals’ own culture and history, so getting them involved can bring a sense of ownership, pride, and connection,” he sounded.
As with many other industries, Curnoe also emphasised the involvement of the younger generation.
Tan sounded that there were many ways to engage the community. “Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), for example, conducts public workshops in the Bujang Valley.”
He encouraged communication and cooperation between local non-governmental organisations (NGOs), stressing that sustainable heritage tourism has to be a group effort.
Building a management plan
Great thought also has to be put towards developing a long-term sustainable management plan which would take into account all these factors affecting cultural heritage tourism, including climate change.
Among other aspects, Curnoe said that this would include managing the crowds of visitors coming to a site and educating about the value and importance of such places to inculcate appreciation.
Both he and Tacon told New Sarawak Tribune that they were working with the Sarawak Museum Department in developing conservation and management plans which would protect the site while still providing the visitors with a better experience.
“At the moment, we have done a big site history for the Painted Cave, 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry, and a conditioned report. All of this will feed into a major conservation and management plan for the site,” said Tacon on his part.
“These sites lack the security, safety, and funding that art galleries, museums or constructed heritage sites have, so we need to look after them very carefully,” he emphasised.
A step forward with the Sarawak Heritage Bill 2019
While it may take some time for a fully-fledged sustainable management plan to be formed for heritage tourism sites, the state government has also been making strides in terms of heritage preservation and sustainability.
In November this year, the Sarawak Heritage Bill 2019 was passed in the State Legislative Assembly, allowing for comprehensive protection and preservation of the state’s heritage.
The Bill, which repealed the Sarawak Cultural Heritage Ordinance 1993, now encompasses new elements previously not covered by the Ordinance.
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said that the inclusion of these provisions would provide a clear heritage conservation framework.
“Under this Bill, a body to be known as ‘Sarawak Heritage Council’ will be established to advise the government on matters of policy, strategy, or plan of action to be taken relating to administration and management of heritage in Sarawak.
“Additionally, a fund to be known as ‘Sarawak Heritage Trust Fund’ will be established to assist owners to do preservation works on heritage buildings or historical monuments or sites belonging to them through financial assistance,” he said in tabling the Bill.
Abdul Karim also emphasised that Sarawak must have a workable and updated heritage management system to protect, cultivate awareness, and instil care for heritage.
A holistic approach
Meanwhile, vice-president of Sarawak Heritage Society, James Yong, reiterated that a holistic approach to heritage management is required.
“This approach should include legislative, institutional, financial, operational, and enforcement aspects,” he said.
At the same time, he suggested for authorities to be more active in gazetting key heritage sites in order to subject them to the relevant legal protection.
“Public awareness programmes should be stepped up so that more will appreciate the value of our heritage.
“Awareness will hopefully lead to pride for our heritage, which in turn creates motivation to protect and preserve,” Yong remarked.
As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure — and there is no cure for the loss of a fragment of history. Efforts to put sustainable measures in place to safeguard Sarawak’s heritage and historical sites should be galvanised before it is too late.
