Conservation management plan as a measure against the effects of climate change in cultural heritage areas. The antigua naval dockyard

The site - listed by UNESCO since 2016 - is exposed to conservation risks due to the
particular environmental conditions of the East-West Caribbean area, whose effects
are even more severe due to climate change. As part of the international diplomacy
initiatives promoted and supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, several
visits were carried out by authors to study the site in order to define a series of
measures to mitigate and counteract the effects of Climate Change. Among the most
relevant risk factors are undoubtedly those related to climate change, in particular
rising sea levels, increased frequency and intensity of rainfall and wind, in an area
already affected by some of the most extreme events. The actions that are envisaged
are many: a land use zoning plan, an action plan, a cultural heritage management and
conservation plan, a marketing plan and various guidelines, which are to be understood
as integrated management tools capable of ensuring effective management of
the site and its universal values. The objective is to implement measures to counteract
the effects of SLR and wave motion, which cause flooding, by protecting the
banks, integrating useful elements for boat moorings, and creating barriers to protect
the historic buildings of Nelson's Dockyard, the latter of which are also the subject
of specific planned conservation measures.