Special Edition on Intangible Cultural Heritage and Climate Change: Part 2

This is the second of two editions of the Anthropological Journal of European Cultures this year on the theme of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and climate change. In the two decades which have passed since its introduction by UNESCO, the Convention for the Safeguarding of the intangible Cultural Heritage has acted as a point of reference for debate and dialogue on the significance of ICH for human society (McDermott and Nic Craith, 2024). The convention places great emphasis on community engagement and dialogue as part of its remit (Blake 2019). ICH is particularly important in helping us to understand, interpret and mitigate against climate change due to its centrality within diverse knowledge systems that connect us with the environment (Orlove et al. 2022). However, the role of ICH within wider debates on climate change have not been fully realised.

In our first edition, contributions considered differing elements of the debate with case studies from Switzerland, Ireland, Poland, Latvia and Greece. These interventions considered themes such as the direct impact of climate change on ICH and the adaptability of practice in Poland, Switzerland and Latvia (Dziubata-Smykowska 2024; Gowlland 2024; Laime et al. 2024). Other authors considered how ICH provides a lens through which communities and states can develop responses to climate change and risks to the environment (Grantham 2024; Karampampas 2024; Kotsira 2024). This edition continues with several further contributions. However, in this version we specifically explore notions of creativity at community level in their responses to climate change through ICH. We finish the edition with our own intervention which explores future directions relating to ICH and language.