On June 24th, the Sesimbra Coastal Cultural Centre hosted the launch of the book ‘Safeguarding coastal archaeological heritage at risk’, a publication promoted by Património Cultural, I.P. which is the result of the compilation of studies presented at the workshop of the same name held in January this year. The book is the result of cooperation between Portugal and Norway under the EEA Grants Fund for Bilateral Relations.
Edited by João A. Marques, Vegard Berggård and Ana Catarina Sousa, the book, which corresponds to number 58 of the collection Trabalhos de Arqueologia, aims to map the risks that threaten the archaeological heritage of coastal areas, assess its vulnerability and present sustainable conservation strategies. It is thus a relevant contribution to tackling the growing impacts of climate change on cultural heritage, particularly in coastal areas.
During the launch ceremony, João Soalheiro, President of Cultural Heritage, I.P., Operator of the Culture Programme, highlighted the importance of collaboration with the donor countries, Norway and Liechtenstein, in preserving collective memory and enhancing national heritage. "Among the results was this great book, which challenges us to think about the future of a very fragile memory. Coastal heritage is at risk and has always been at risk, because the sea is an indomitable force. That's why we have to deal with the sea with intelligence and knowledge," he said.
The event, organised in partnership with Sesimbra City Council, was also attended by the Deputy Head of Mission of the Norwegian Embassy in Lisbon, Karina Asbjørnsen, and representatives of the National Management Unit of the EEA Grants.
The publication will soon be available in open access on the website of Património Cultural, I.P., allowing a wide dissemination of the knowledge and good practices proposed in this reference work for safeguarding coastal heritage.