Heritage in the intergovernmental panel on climate change assessment reports: a lexical assessment

Abstract

A lexical analysis is conducted of the five intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) assessments reports undertaken between 1990 and 2014. The analysis indicates that the term heritage is little used in the reports, although it has become more widely used over time in different chapters. In contrast, reference to indigenous culture and heritage has greatly increased. The implications are discussed especially for the way in which the IPCC frames culture and heritage. Implications for research communication are briefly discussed.

Keywords:

• cultural landscape
• heritage tourism
• climate change
• cultural heritage
• indigenous heritage
• IPCC

Notes on contibutors

C. Michael Hall is a Professor in Department of Management, Marketing & Entrepreneurship, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and Docent in Geography, University of Oulu, Finland. He also holds positions at Linneaus University, Sweden, and University of Johannesburg, South Africa. His present heritage tourism research is focused on World Heritage experiences in international perspective.

Dr. Yael Ram is a Senior Lecturer in Ashkelon Academic College, Israel, and one of the lead authors of the Israeli Ecosystems National Assessment. She works in the fields of psychological aspects of tourism and sustainability.