In-Person Egyptian Cultural-Natural Heritage and Climate Change Workshop

Workshop Information

Egypt is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Egypt´s Nile Delta is one of the world‘s three extremely vulnerable hotspots and future projections indicate that Egypt will suffer from the following climate change impacts: sea level rise, water scarcity, and deficit, and an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heat waves, flash floods, heavy rains, and sand and dust storms. This will lead to major impacts on infrastructure, beaches, and fertile land in the Nile Delta, as they are subject to erosion, saltwater intrusion, and inundation.

Cultural and natural heritage are threatened by numerous climate change impacts, such as heat waves, sea level rise, and increased risk of storm surges and flooding. It is therefore crucial to evaluate the vulnerability of cultural and natural heritage and how it may be impacted by climate change.

This workshop brings together key stakeholders to discuss climate challenges for cultural and natural heritage.

There are no participation fees, but participants are required to bring their own laptop for the workshop.

Schedule: from 10 am – 2:30 pm

Deadline for registration: June 15,  and the expected notification date for accepted participants is July 4, 2024.

This workshop is generously funded by the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC).

Speaker Bio

I am AbdelRahman Medhat, an archaeometrist with a broad range of research interests related to the chemistry of conservation. My doctoral thesis, ‘An Applied Archaeometry Study on the Evaluation of Chemical Degradation of Wooden Icons Due to the Stratigraphic Structure and the Appropriate Treatment Methods Applied on a Selected Object Dating Back to the 18th Century’ received a rank of excellent, first class. I currently work as an Archaeometrist and Conservator at the Egyptian Museum.

I have recently received a postdoctoral appointment with ARCE (ECA & CAORC) that focuses on the “Impact of Climate Change on Archaeological Earthen Structures in the Delta: A Case Study of the Church in Tell Timai” for the 2023-2024 fellowship year. This study will evaluate the effects of climate change on cultrual resources, especially on the Delta. Central to this study is a church that dates to the 4th century AD. The deterioration of these structures at Tell Timai is due to the integrated relationship between climate change and the geology of the Delta region. In addition to analyzing how climate change is influencing deterioration at Tell Timai, a secondary aspect of this research will focus on the implementation of Green Conservation of inbuilt heritage through eco-friendly and sustainable conservation measures.