Underwater cultural heritage serves as both tangible and intangible evidence of humanity’s influence on all aspects of life. It bears witness to a shared memory and documents the countless changes that societies have faced and overcome over millennia. This article aims to examine the role of underwater cultural heritage in addressing the global challenges that communities face today.
This study illustrates how this heritage becomes an essential tool for developing new approaches to tackle the issues outlined in the United Nations' 2030 Agenda.
Underwater cultural heritage plays a crucial role in shaping cultural identity and promoting the interaction between cultural and natural heritage, emphasizing humanity’s connection to the environment. These aspects, including the intangible nature of underwater cultural heritage, are essential for achieving the objectives outlined in international agendas.
The significance of heritage in addressing future challenges has been explored before, but underwater cultural heritage stands out for its uniquely international nature. For example, shipwrecks often contain the remains of people from over 30 different nationalities, alongside artifacts from Indigenous communities, all aboard vessels from colonial powers. This diversity makes underwater cultural heritage particularly valuable for answering a wide range of questions that concern the global community.
