Climate Action

Climate change is destroying ancient rock art

Cave paintings from: Ha'il - northwest of the Arabian Peninsula.

We must make an effort to reduce the impacts of climate change immediately. Image: Rabah Al Shammary/Unsplash

Paige Bennett
Writer, EcoWatch
  • Indigenous rock art in Australia and around the world is fading away rapidly due to climate change. The effects are irreversible and action must be immediate.
  • Impacts of climate change include rising sea levels — which can lead to erosion — increased rainfall, desertification, and extreme weather events.
  • Archaeologists and historians are working to find ways to preserve the art and adapt to the changing climate.

Researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia are seeing climate change irreversibly damage ancient rock art before their very eyes. In just a matter of decades, rock art that has lasted thousands of years is being lost to the impacts of a warming world.

In a symposium titled, Archaeology, History, Indigenous and Heritage responses to the IPCC 6th Assessment Report and agendas for climate research and adaptation, experts warn about how rapidly the Indigenous art in Australia and around the world is fading away.

"Humans have been dealing with environmental challenges, climate extremes and natural disasters for millennia," said Ania Kotarba, an archaeology lecturer and one of the symposium organizers. "While the severity and speed of changes now is new and pressing, archaeological and historical research can, and should, excavate examples of communities adapting to rapid change, often in a sustainable way, and offer insights for the future."

Have you read?
  • Climate change: 3 natural wonders that could disappear

The event is a response to the sixth and latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which warns of rapid, intensifying, and likely irreversible impacts due to climate change. According to the IPCC, there's little chance to limit warming to even 2°C, let alone 1.5°C, unless there is immediate and widespread action.

"Climate change is already affecting every region on Earth, in multiple ways," said Panmao Zhai, IPCC Working Group I co-chair, in a press release about the latest report. "The changes we experience will increase with additional warming."

Impacts of climate change include rising sea levels — which can lead to erosion — increased rainfall, desertification, and extreme weather events, such as fires, flooding, and cyclones.

Indigenous guide Terence Coulthard shows ancient rock art to chef Rene Redzepi on a visit to Adnyamathanha land in the South Australian Outback on Oct. 3, 2010 in Flinders Ranges, Australia.
ndigenous rock art in Australia and around the world is fading away rapidly due to climate change. Image: Lisa Maree Williams
Discover

What’s the World Economic Forum doing about climate change?

"Tropical cyclones are the most devastating weather events to affect coastal Australia, and storm surge is the most damaging consequence of cyclones on the preservation of coastal archaeological features and sites," said Flinders archaeologist Peter Ross.

The ancient art is usually found on sandstone. As The Guardian explains, this type of rock can soak up water. But in the event of a fire, the water expands, the rock explodes, and the art is lost. Salt crystals can also cause the rocks to collapse as they expand and contract with the changing temperatures.

Archaeologists and historians are working to find ways to preserve the art and adapt to the changing climate. But ultimately, preservation depends on a global move toward immediate, sustainable solutions.

Alessandro Antonello, an environmental historian and one of the symposium organizers, said, "In the meantime, humanity must both drastically reduce carbon emissions and adapt our lives to these rapidly changing circumstances."

Loading...
Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

Sign up for free

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Stay up to date:

Climate Crisis

Related topics:
Climate ActionNature and Biodiversity
Share:
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how Climate Crisis is affecting economies, industries and global issues
A hand holding a looking glass by a lake
Crowdsource Innovation
Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
World Economic Forum logo
Global Agenda

The Agenda Weekly

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

Subscribe today

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.

How ports can lead a just transition for workers in an automated future

Allyson Browne

November 14, 2024

Accelerating an Equitable Transition: Policy Guidelines for Impact 

About us

Engage with us

  • Sign in
  • Partner with us
  • Become a member
  • Sign up for our press releases
  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Contact us

Quick links

Language editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Sitemap

© 2024 World Economic Forum