TY - JOUR KW - China Coast KW - cultural heritage KW - Intangible cultural heritage KW - Relics KW - Risk assessment model KW - Sea level rise KW - Traditional villages AU - Z. Chen AU - Q. Gao AU - X. Li AU - X. Yang AU - Z. Wang AB - The rise in sea levels, driven by global climate change, poses a significant threat to cultural heritage in coastal regions. Traditional risk assessment methods, focusing on direct inundation, often fail to consider the crucial impact of socio-economic factors, which are significantly vulnerable to sea level rise. To bridge this gap, this study introduces an innovative Sea Level Rise Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment Model (SLR-CHIA Model), a novel approach that integrates both land inundation and socio-economic aspects. This comprehensive model evaluates potential risks to various types of cultural heritage in coastal China, including intangible cultural heritage, relics, and traditional villages. The study’s findings are striking: (1) About 7.79\% of coastal villages, 53.94\% of relics, and 2.53\% of intangible cultural heritage are potentially at high risk in a 100-year sea level rise event; (2) Relics in the Eastern coast and villages in the Southern coast are most vulnerable; (3) Different types of cultural heritage rely on diverse principal factors for protection, resulting in varied risk levels under sea level rise conditions. The SLR-CHIA Model provides a vital methodological framework for evaluating cultural heritage risks in other global regions. BT - Heritage Science DO - 10.1186/s40494-024-01233-1 M1 - 1 N2 - The rise in sea levels, driven by global climate change, poses a significant threat to cultural heritage in coastal regions. Traditional risk assessment methods, focusing on direct inundation, often fail to consider the crucial impact of socio-economic factors, which are significantly vulnerable to sea level rise. To bridge this gap, this study introduces an innovative Sea Level Rise Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment Model (SLR-CHIA Model), a novel approach that integrates both land inundation and socio-economic aspects. This comprehensive model evaluates potential risks to various types of cultural heritage in coastal China, including intangible cultural heritage, relics, and traditional villages. The study’s findings are striking: (1) About 7.79\% of coastal villages, 53.94\% of relics, and 2.53\% of intangible cultural heritage are potentially at high risk in a 100-year sea level rise event; (2) Relics in the Eastern coast and villages in the Southern coast are most vulnerable; (3) Different types of cultural heritage rely on diverse principal factors for protection, resulting in varied risk levels under sea level rise conditions. The SLR-CHIA Model provides a vital methodological framework for evaluating cultural heritage risks in other global regions. PY - 2024 T2 - Heritage Science TI - Beyond inundation: a comprehensive assessment of sea level rise impact on coastal cultural heritage in China UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85190124627&doi=10.1186%2fs40494-024-01233-1&partnerID=40&md5=5da7939d4c3dd8a78d4fe0077109634a VL - 12 ER -