Sceilg Mhichíl Faces Intensifying Climate Change Threats, New Assessment Reveals – National Geographic Society Newsroom

Climate Vulnerability Assessment of Sceilg Mhichíl and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Safeguarding Heritage Through Climate Action

A Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA) for Sceilg Mhichíl, a UNESCO World Heritage Property in Ireland, has identified escalating threats posed by climate change. This report, supported by the National Geographic Society’s Preserving Legacies project, provides a strategic framework for climate adaptation. The assessment directly addresses the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), by strengthening efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage (Target 11.4), and SDG 13 (Climate Action), by enhancing resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards.

Identified Climate Risks and SDG Implications

The CVA outlines several heightened risks that directly threaten the Outstanding Universal Value of Sceilg Mhichíl and undermine progress on key SDGs. These risks include:

• Impact on Avian Life: Rising ocean temperatures are altering food availability for breeding seabirds. This directly threatens biodiversity and compromises SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land) by impacting marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
• Habitat and Vegetation Degradation: A combination of increased salt spray and prolonged dry periods is causing significant vegetation loss. This degradation of the natural habitat for bird species is a direct setback for SDG 15 (Life on Land), which aims to halt biodiversity loss.
• Damage to Cultural Heritage: Increased rainfall and subsequent soil saturation are placing the site’s early medieval monastic structures under severe pressure. This poses a direct threat to the goals of SDG 11.4, which focuses on the preservation of cultural heritage.

Proposed Adaptation Strategies for SDG Attainment

The assessment proposes a series of climate adaptation solutions designed to safeguard Sceilg Mhichíl’s heritage while actively contributing to the achievement of multiple SDGs. The strategies are categorized as follows:

1. Sustainable Economic Growth and Community Engagement (SDG 8 & SDG 11)
   • Diversify tourism by developing mainland visitor centers and guided boat trips to reduce environmental pressure on the island. This promotes sustainable tourism as outlined in SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
   • Increase local community involvement through educational initiatives and “on-mainland experiences,” fostering inclusive and sustainable communities in line with SDG 11.
2. Climate Action and Resilience (SDG 13)
   • Implement robust risk-reduction measures, including re-evaluating rockfall hazards and considering vegetation re-seeding on vulnerable slopes to build resilience against climate impacts.
   • Increase year-round staff presence on the island to improve site management and emergency response capabilities.
3. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Monitoring (SDG 14 & SDG 15)
   • Initiate comprehensive monitoring and research programs, including avian population surveys, soil analysis, and weather monitoring. This data is critical for informed conservation decisions that support SDG 14 and SDG 15.
   • Conduct continuous remote surveys of the built heritage to track the impact of environmental changes.
4. Partnerships and Knowledge Sharing (SDG 17)
   • Position Sceilg Mhichíl as a model for climate action, sharing adaptation knowledge and best practices with other heritage sites globally.
   • Leverage the collaborative approach of the CVA—involving the National Monuments Service, the Office of Public Works, and local stakeholders—as a framework for achieving goals through partnership, central to SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The article is centered on protecting Sceilg Mhichíl, a UNESCO World Heritage Property, which directly relates to safeguarding cultural and natural heritage. The entire Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA) is an effort to preserve the site’s “outstanding universal value,” including its “early medieval monastic settlement and intact dry-stone architecture.”

SDG 13: Climate Action

• The primary focus of the article is the threat of climate change to the heritage site. It details a “Climate Vulnerability Assessment” and outlines “adaptation strategies for climate risks,” such as increased rainfall, higher ocean temperatures, and longer dry periods, which are all direct consequences of climate change.

SDG 14: Life Below Water

• The article discusses the impact of “higher ocean temperatures” on the marine ecosystem surrounding the island, specifically how it may be “causing changes to food availability for breeding birds.” This highlights the vulnerability of coastal and marine ecosystems to climate change.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• The report addresses terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystems. It explicitly mentions threats like “vegetation loss and potential habitat loss for bird species” due to increased salt spray and dry periods. The proposed solutions, such as “re-seeding vegetation on slopes,” directly address the conservation of the island’s terrestrial habitat.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The article touches upon the economic aspect of the site as a “tourist destination.” It proposes adaptation solutions that involve the “Diversification of Tourism,” such as developing “mainland visitor centers” and increasing “local involvement through ‘on-mainland experiences’,” which aligns with promoting sustainable tourism that benefits local communities.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The project described is a multi-stakeholder collaboration. The article highlights the partnership between the National Geographic Society, Ireland’s National Monuments Service, the Office of Public Works, Queen’s University Belfast, and “local community participants.” This collaborative approach to “share knowledge, expertise” and address a common challenge is a core principle of SDG 17.

What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage. The entire article is an embodiment of this target. The CVA report and the proposed adaptation strategies are direct efforts to protect Sceilg Mhichíl, a site recognized for both its cultural (“medieval Monastic structures”) and natural (“vital location for breeding seabirds”) heritage.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The article details the creation of a “climate change risk assessment” and outlines specific “climate adaptation solutions” like rockfall monitoring, re-seeding vegetation, and diversifying tourism to build resilience against identified climate hazards.
• Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning. The initiative aims at “Sharing Adaptation Knowledge” and “using the site as an educational tool on climate change impacts and adaptations,” which directly contributes to building capacity and raising awareness.

SDG 14: Life Below Water

• Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts. The assessment identifies threats to the marine food chain (“changes to food availability for breeding birds” due to “higher ocean temperatures”) and proposes monitoring and research to better manage and protect the coastal ecosystem of Sceilg Mhichíl.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species. The article highlights the “Impact on Birdlife” and “Vegetation Loss and Habitat Degradation” as key risks. The proposed “avian population surveys” and consideration of “re-seeding vegetation” are actions aimed at halting habitat degradation and protecting the site’s biodiversity.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Target 8.9: By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products. The proposed solution to “Diversification of Tourism” by “developing alternative attractions like guided boat trips and mainland visitor centers” is a clear strategy for sustainable tourism that reduces pressure on the site while creating economic opportunities for the local community.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources. The project is a partnership involving the National Monuments Service, Office of Public Works, National Geographic Society, and local experts. The article states, “A collaborative approach is critical to addressing the results of the CVA assessment,” demonstrating a multi-stakeholder partnership in action.

Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Implied Indicator: Implementation of the Sceilg Mhichíl World Heritage Management Plan 2020-30 and the CVA’s adaptation strategies.
• Implied Indicator: Data from “continuous remote surveys of built heritage” to track the condition of the monastic structures.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• Mentioned Indicator: The existence and implementation of a “Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA)” as a tool for adaptation planning.
• Mentioned Indicator: Data from “onsite weather monitoring” and “rockfall monitoring” to track climate hazards and the effectiveness of risk-reduction measures.

SDG 14: Life Below Water

• Mentioned Indicator: Results from “avian population surveys,” which can serve as a bio-indicator for the health of the marine food web affected by ocean temperatures.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• Mentioned Indicator: Data from “soil analysis” to monitor habitat health.
• Mentioned Indicator: Population trends from “avian population surveys” to measure biodiversity status.
• Implied Indicator: The area of slopes where vegetation has been successfully re-seeded to combat erosion and habitat loss.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Implied Indicator: The number of new “on-mainland experiences” or alternative attractions developed, such as visitor centers.
• Implied Indicator: The level of “local involvement” and employment in new tourism initiatives.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Mentioned Indicator: The number and diversity of stakeholders actively engaged in the project, including government bodies (“National Monuments Service and Office of Public Works”), international organizations (“National Geographic Society”), and “local community participants.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators for Sceilg Mhichíl

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