Climate change is threatening SA’s major heritage sites, study finds

Climate change is threatening South African heritage sites. A recent study revealed that extreme weather will adversely affect heritage sites within Table Mountain, Mapungubwe and Kruger National Parks.

The unique flora of Table Mountain is threatened by increasing temperatures and prolonged drought conditions. Picture: Matthew Sterne

The paper, ‘Climate change risk assessment of heritage tourism sites within South African national parks,’ published in ScienceDirect noted that warming temperatures, sea level rise, changes in rainfall, and increases in extreme events as key climatic stressors on heritage sites around the globe.

Despite the literature addressing this topic, only 1% is dedicated to African heritage sites. The sites included in the study were Table Mountain National Park, which falls under the Cape Floral Kingdom, Thumela Ruins in Kruger National Park (KNP) and Mapungubwe National Park.

The Thulamela ruins. Picture: Getaway Gallery

The results revealed that each site had a high vulnerability to climate change, with rising temperatures the biggest threat to heritage plant life in Table Mountain, especially with increased drought conditions.

Mapungubwe and Thulamela in the Limpopo Valley also face increasing temperatures, where South Africa’s temperatures are expected to rise at twice the global rate. This could lead to the breaking up of artefacts at these ancient sites, especially metallic ones.

The famous golden rhino is one of the many artefacts discovered in Mapungubwe. Picture: Wikimedia Commons/ South African Tourism

There are also concerns surrounding the facades of the ruins due to thermal stress, damage to rock paintings and engravings with increasing temperatures and intense rainfall.

A telling statistic from the study was that very few visitors perceived climate change as having an impact on heritage. 8% of participants surveyed in Mapungubwe, 5% in Kruger and 7% at Table Mountain perceived climate change as a serious risk to heritage in these parks.

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