Kulturmiljöer i riskzon : En GIS-baseradexponeringsanalys av klimatrelaterade risker i Jämtlands län

Sammanfattning

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of natural hazards such as flooding, erosion, landslides, and slope failure, posing growing challenges for cultural heritage management. In northern Sweden, these risks are particularly relevant due to changing precipitation patterns, altered hydrological conditions, and sensitive geomorphological environments. Despite this, systematic regional analyses linking climate-related risk data with cultural heritage records have so far been limited in Jämtland County. This thesis presents a GIS-based exposure analysis integrating registered cultural remains from the Swedish National Heritage Board’s register of cultural remains (KMR) with open geospatial datasets related to flooding, erosion, landslides and slope failure provided by Swedish national authorities and agencies. The study analyses the spatial overlap between registered cultural remains and mapped risk zones across Jämtland County. The results indicate substantial exposure of registered cultural remains to climate-related hazards. In total, 4,030 unique archaeological remains, corresponding to approximately 23% of the analysed category, were identified within areas exposed to either flooding- or landslide-related risk indicators. Clear regional differences were identified, with the municipalities of Strömsund and Åre displaying the highest exposure levels. The analysis also demonstrates variation between different categories of cultural remains and between different landscape contexts. The study further highlights several methodological limitations, including incomplete archaeological survey coverage, positional inaccuracies in KMR, variations in the coverage and resolution of available geodata and the use of non-climate-adjusted flood scenarios. Consequently, the findings are more reliable for identifying broader regional exposure patterns than for assessing risks to individual sites. Despite these limitations, the study demonstrates the usefulness of GIS-based exposure analyses as tools for regional planning and prioritisation in cultural heritage management and climate adaptation. By providing a regional overview of exposure patterns, the study contributes a relevant knowledge base for future planning, risk assessment, and climate adaptation efforts concerning cultural heritage in Jämtland County.