City growth threatens sustainable development - a pattern of growth in which resource use aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment for present and future generations (The Brundtland Commision, 1987) - of cities. Over the past decades increased urbanization has created more pressure - not only on the suburban outskirts - but also in the inner core of the cities, putting important environmental issues, such as water management and cultural heritage, under stress.
Read more about cultural heritage in report TU1206-WG2.7-007
Cultural heritage protection is often related to surface- and groundwater management. This poses a threat, certainly in view of climate change and the current need to adaptation in urban water systems. Cultural heritage and water management in urban planning has been the goal for the Urban WATCH project (2012-2015) funded bye the Norwegian Research Council (MILJØ 2015) in collaboration between NIVA (Norwegian Institute for water research), Geological Survey of Norway (NGU), Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) and Norwegian Institure for Urban and Regional Research (NIBR).
The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage is responsible for the management of all archaeological and architectural monuments and sites and cultural environments in accordance with relevant legislation. They have produced an English version of the Norwegian National Standard - Requirements for environmental monitoring and investigation of cultural deposits.
Project Bryggen in Bergen, Norway
Project Bryggen is managed by the Directorate for Cultural Heritage in Norway. In 2011, the Norwegian Governement allocated 45 million kroner to stabilize cultural deposits under the buildings by raising groundwater. Visit Project Bryggen
The project has resulted in a book "Monitoring, mitigation and management, the groundwater project - safeguarding the world heritage site Bryggen in Bergen". The Bryggen World Heritage Site has been suffering from severe, long-term subsidence caused by groundwater drainage. By combining geological mapping, groundwater monitoring and modelling, along with geotechnical, geochemical and archaeological investigations, the systematic and interdisciplinary Groundwater Project has been instrumental in reestablishing groundwater levels and combating the insidious threats of subsidence and decay.
This publication presents the results from this important work, which will without doubt contribute significantly to the conservation of other UNESCO heritage sites throughout the world. - Kishore Rao, Director, Division for Heritage & World Heritage Centre.
