Areas under pressure (APRESS)

APRESS aims to promote an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral understanding of how unspoilt natural and cultural environments can be protected in the face of climate change and the green transition, whilst also implementing necessary development processes. The project, therefore, has a clear focus on developing methodologies to provide a stronger knowledge base for the development of management and conservation strategies for cultural heritage sites[1]. This can, in turn, be used in the wider discussion on how to facilitate sustainable energy development.

Sub-objectives:

• To identify and document categories of cultural heritage and areas that are particularly vulnerable to climate change and especially exposed to pressure from various development projects, with particular emphasis on wind power and hydropower development.
   
• Analyse how cultural and nature conservation legislation can be coordinated to achieve both sustainable energy production and the preservation of cultural heritage.
   
• Contribute to increased national-level public awareness of the importance of safeguarding both natural and cultural environments in energy policy.
   

Norway faces major challenges at the intersection of sustainable development, the preservation of cultural and natural heritage, climate challenges and the demands of the energy transition. As the green transition progresses, areas that were previously untouched natural landscapes are coming under ever-increasing pressure from the development of wind power, waterways, housing, holiday homes, the tourism industry and industrial development. This puts previously untouched areas, which often have high natural and cultural-historical value, at risk of destruction and thus the loss of important natural and cultural heritage.

At APRESS, we aim to survey and document cultural heritage sites in such vulnerable areas, which is essential to ensure that future development projects also take cultural environments into account. We hope that the project can contribute to the development of methods for the most sustainable management possible of our shared cultural heritage, in light of the need for energy transition.

Central to the green transition is the rapid expansion of renewable energy, such as wind power and hydropower. At the same time, such developments place increased pressure on unspoilt natural areas, which also largely contain important cultural heritage sites and cultural environments. By mapping and documenting cultural environments in particularly vulnerable areas, the project will help to identify areas that should either be avoided or protected.

The project will thus contribute knowledge that can enhance understanding of how unspoilt areas can and should be managed holistically, as well as help raise awareness of the connection between climate, the energy transition, and the consequences this has for the management of our shared cultural heritage. The project is important for ensuring that Norway succeeds in balancing energy development with the preservation of both cultural and natural heritage, which is crucial for the quality of life and identity of both current and future generations.

The project has received seed funding from the University of Bergen’s programme for climate and energy transition. The funds will primarily be used for the further development of the project and the project application, as well as for partnership collaboration (with both research partners and user partners).

[1] See the Director-General for Cultural Heritage’s conservation strategies, the proposed new Cultural Heritage Act, and the Research Council’s thematic priorities relating to the various portfolios.