Between heritage and climate: creating a climate heritage museum
Written by Dina Gohar, Curator, Alexandria National Museum (Egypt, ITP 2023)
The International Training Programme encouraged me to participate in international conferences to keep up with the latest developments in the field of museums and heritage, especially sustainability. This began with my participation in the programme in 2023, where the team at the British Museum and UK partner museums greatly assisted me due to their awareness of my interest in sustainability in museums by providing me with information and knowledge. Even now, I continue to receive updates on everything new related to sustainability in museums worldwide.
I was invited by Senghor University for African Development to participate in the international conference Building Resilience in Africa to Climate Change Related Loss and Damage: Challenges, Innovations, and Opportunities, which took place from February 24 to 26, 2025, at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The conference discussed the latest scientific developments in addressing climate change and climate action, featuring several sessions that covered topics related to climate change, such as:
-The challenges faced due to climate changes and adaptation, or the possibility of finding solutions for some of them.
-Discussion on the necessary funding to tackle climate change challenges and sources of that funding.
-Discussions also took place regarding renewable energy sources and the negative impacts of climate change on human health and cultural and human heritage.
The conference included a number of researchers and experts from various African countries and around the world, including Ghana, Niger, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Cameroon, Egypt, Canada, and France.
This is the name of the panel in which I participated, giving a lecture titled Sustainable Future: Integrating Climate Action into Museum Practice. In this lecture, I discussed several aspects of sustainability practices and climate change in museums and presented a range of practices, activities, and training that have already been implemented through the Sustainable Development and Green Museums framework in regional museums in Egypt. The topics discussed included:
-Climate Action Integration.
-The Power of Museums in Connecting with the Community.
-Research and Collections.
-Challenges of Climate Change in Museums.
-Sustainable Practices in Museums.
I concluded the lecture with a proposal for feedback mechanisms for visitors and museum staff through a set of questions designed to measure visitor satisfaction with activities, exhibitions, and training related to sustainability, as well as their satisfaction with the museum’s engagement with the community. Additionally, I proposed follow-up for museum staff to assess the positive impact of practices on the preservation of exhibits and the continuous development of practices.
This was the second lecture in the same session by my colleague Dr. Osama Al-Nahas, a heritage expert at ISESCO, who proposed the idea of creating a museum dedicated to climate heritage. The lecture highlighted the importance of the museum, its vision, the rationale behind its establishment, and why Alexandria was chosen as its location.
The sections of the museum, the activities and workshops to be held there, as well as the stakeholders and funders involved in the museum were also presented.
At the end of this lecture, an open call for participants and funders interested in supporting the museum, aimed at preserving cultural and human heritage worldwide, was announced. It was indeed a surprise that funding was offered from international entities, showing their strong admiration for the museum’s idea.
Every time I write a blog, I feel very happy to share a new step towards knowledge and experience and to expand my network globally. I remember everything I learned and all the experiences I gained during the international training program and my time in Britain, which I always say has completely changed all my life work.