A participatory risk assessment and sustainable use framework for maritime cultural heritage

This deliverable, D4.4, describes the "participatory framework for sustainable management, conservation and use of European coastal and maritime cultural landscapes" of the PERICLES project. It is the final deliverable for WP4, based on the four tasks carried out in this and other work packages. It brings together a synthesis of information already communicated in other reports (e.g. D4.1; D4.2; D4.3), and examples from the PERICLES case regions. In doing so, this deliverable presents the PERICLES participatory framework as practice-informed approach to understand, assess and enact sustainable management, conservation and use of European coastal and maritime cultural landscapes.

In the PERICLES participatory risk assessment framework, defining risks and threats is seen as an important starting point because this enables clearer communication and therefore to create a common understanding among those stakeholders who are affected by threats, and those who are affecting and
governing risks to coastal and maritime cultural heritage. In the PERICLES project, a distinction is made between natural/environmental and human-induced threats as captured in the first phase of the framework. At the same time, it is highlighted that such distinction can be artificial and should be
considered with care, as represented in the two-layered design of the framework. Every step goes with questions for reflection for those using the framework, and the iterative loops contained within it. Governance, is seen as a process of steering at a strategic level in which a variety of actors can be
involved yet not affected, can be affected yet marginalized or excluded, or anything in between. Risk management takes place at the more operational level but the power dynamics of a governance process are still important. As such the second phase of the risk assessment framework seeks to suggest participatory ways to assess, decide and evaluate risks.

PERICLES partners had the ambition to test the framework in demo-specific risk assessment processes in the PERICLES case regions. This testing was planned at the case-region level between January 2020 and January 2021. However, due to pandemic related restriction (ban of meetings and curfews) it proved to be impossible to realise the testing and implementing of the framework in the way envisioned. As an alternative approach, PERICLES partners have looked at their demo work through the lens of the assessment framework and discussed this in four joint sessions. This led to enhanced, practice-informed insights on how the different steps worked out in several specific case regions. Furthermore, the
partners jointly reflected on the impact of COVID-19 on their own participatory strategies. It has been clear that the pandemic has hampered participation in demo activities and has also brought some to a stand-still. Mitigating measures were mainly through online activities, which allowed for opening up to new audiences but also brought forward forms of exclusion because of a digital divide.