Natural hazards affecting cultural heritage: assessment of flood and landslide risk for the 28 existing Norwegian stave churches

Abstract

PurposeThe overall objective of this study is envisaged to provide decision makers with actionable insights and access to multi-risk maps for the most in-danger stave churches (SCs) among the existing 28 churches at high spatial resolution to better understand, reduce and mitigate single- and multi-risk. In addition, the present contribution aims to provide decision makers with some information to face the exacerbation of the risk caused by the expected climate change.Design/methodology/approachMaterial and data collection started with the consultation of the available literature related to: (1) SCs' conservation status, (2) available methodologies suitable in multi-hazard approach and (3) vulnerability leading indicators to consider when dealing with the impact of natural hazards specifically on immovable cultural heritage.FindingsThe paper contributes to a better understanding of place-based vulnerability with local mapping dimension also considering future threats posed by climate change. The results highlight the danger at which the SCs of Røldal, in case of floods, and of Ringebu, Torpo and Øye, in case of landslide, may face and stress the urgency of increasing awareness and preparedness on these potential hazards.Originality/valueThe contribution for the first time aims to homogeneously collect and report all together existing spread information on architectural features, conservation status and geographical attributes for the whole group of SCs by accompanying this information with as much as possible complete 2D sections collection from existing drawings and novel 3D drawn sketches created for this contribution. Then the paper contributes to a better understanding of place-based vulnerability with local mapping dimension also considering future threats posed by climate change. Then it highlights the danger of floods and landslides at which the 28 SCs are subjected. Finally it reports how these risks will change under the ongoing impact of climate change.

Sustainable management of heritage buildings in long-term perspective (SyMBoL): current knowledge and further research needs

“…On the topic of robust risk assessment tools (RATs) focused to HHBs exposed to extreme events and/or natural hazards, the contribution of Bertolin and Sesana (2023) presents a synthetic component-based modelling framework to analyse the vulnerability of the whole group of the 28 still existing SCs (including their contents) in terms of potential multihazard risk for flooding and earth landslide events. Input data for this framework were collected by existing danger maps from NVE (Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate's).…”

Landslides and Cultural Heritage—A Review

“…An example of a vulnerability study using an index-based approach is brought forward by Bertolin and Sesana [78] for the 28 remaining Norwegian stave churches. Apart from traditional variables considered in vulnerability studies (building material, maintenance condition, number of floors, age, etc.…”

Potential of Frost Damage of Off-Ground Foundation Stones in Norwegian Stave Churches Since 1950 Using Land Surface Temperature

“…Beside the implications on stone buildings and/or OGFSs conservation, these climatic variations are likely to trigger subsidence, thawsettling, and slope instability effects with a future higher risk of landslides [18,19,20,21,22,23].…”

“…Then, Table 2 shows the categorization of the SCs sites in terms of coastal (C), rural (R), urban (U), and Mountain (M) areas. This is done looking at the data collected in Bertolin and Sesana [18] and calculating the distance from the coast (i.e. (C) 3 churches located near a fjord, 4 near the sea with the Grip SC (ID 6) sited on a small island); the high or very low density of dwellings in proximity of the SC i.e., respectively (U) in case of SC relocated in open air museums in urban areas as in Oslo, Trondheim, and Lillehammer or (R) for the remaining 18 churches; and measuring the altitude above the mean sea level.…”

“…It is out of the scope of this contribution, to carry on an in-depth investigation of the conservation status of the entire structures of the churches and of their foundations. Horizontal sections, and above-ground vertical sections of the 28 SC considered in this study were already provided in Bertolin and Sesana 2022, [18] together with their conservation and restoration information.…”