Conservation management plan as a measure against the effects of climate change in cultural heritage areas. The antigua naval dockyard

The site - listed by UNESCO since 2016 - is exposed to conservation risks due to the particular environmental conditions of the East-West Caribbean area, whose effects are even more severe due to climate change. As part of the international diplomacy initiatives promoted and supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, several visits were carried out by authors to study the site in order to define a series of measures to mitigate and counteract the effects of Climate Change. Among the most relevant risk factors are undoubtedly those related to climate change, in particular rising sea levels, increased frequency and intensity of rainfall and wind, in an area already affected by some of the most extreme events. The actions that are envisaged are many: a land use zoning plan, an action plan, a cultural heritage management and conservation plan, a marketing plan and various guidelines, which are to be understood as integrated management tools capable of ensuring effective management of the site and its universal values. The objective is to implement measures to counteract the effects of SLR and wave motion, which cause flooding, by protecting the banks, integrating useful elements for boat moorings, and creating barriers to protect the historic buildings of Nelson's Dockyard, the latter of which are also the subject of specific planned conservation measures.