Remote sensing and Disaster Risk Management for Cultural Heritage

Rayne, L; Rouhani, B; Lavris, Makovics, J

doi:10.4324/9781003263647-7

Remote sensing and Disaster Risk Management for Cultural Heritage

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Louise Rayne ORCiD, Jen Makovics ORCiD

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This is the authors' accepted manuscript of a book chapter that has been published in its final definitive form by Routledge, 2023.

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Abstract

Remote sensing is increasingly offering a birds-eye view of cultural heritage destruction in most parts of the world, allowing risk and damage monitoring. Since WWI, aerial photographs have been used to identify and study ancient sites and landscapes. In recent decades, advanced technologies and open-source satellite imagery opened new horizons to professionals for analysing risks and threats to cultural heritage. Satellite data in different forms are used to examine the earth’s surface and analyse both natural and human-made environments. Remote sensing data and drone photogrammetry have proved to be useful in assessing damage to sites that are threatened by natural hazards, land-use activities and armed conflict. These techniques can rapidly survey large areas, usually inaccessible during disasters. In particular, researchers are now investigating ways to automate remote detection of risks. In the aftermath of the 2011 start of the Syrian and Libyan conflicts, there was a surge in the number of projects that applied satellite imagery to understand the pattern and intensity of damage to heritage sites. Satellite imagery has been used in analysing flood risks to historic sites too. This chapter introduces remote sensing as one of the most rapid and cost-effective methods for collecting and analysing risk factors and damage assessment. It also explains the challenges and limitations that heritage researchers and professionals should be aware of when using remote sensing.