By the year 2080, according to a recent study, the increasing sea levels may pose a threat to the esteemed moai statues on Easter Island.
In the face of climate change, the Associated Press (AP) has received support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy, shedding light on the urgent issue of rising sea levels threatening cultural heritage sites.
One such site is Ahu Tongariki, the largest ceremonial platform on Easter Island, home to 15 towering moai statues. This iconic location draws tens of thousands of visitors each year and is a cornerstone of Easter Island's tourism economy.
The roughly 900 moai statues across Easter Island were built by the Rapa Nui people between the 10th and 16th centuries to honour important ancestors and chiefs. Ahu Tongariki lies within Rapa Nui National Park, which encompasses much of the island and is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
A study led by Noah Paoa, a doctoral student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa's School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, has found that rising sea levels could cause powerful waves to reach Easter Island's iconic moai statues by the end of the century. The findings show waves could reach Ahu Tongariki as early as 2080.
Paoa emphasises the importance of being proactive rather than reactive to potential threats. He and his colleagues built a high-resolution "digital twin" of Easter Island's eastern coastline to simulate future wave impacts under various sea level rise scenarios.
In response to these findings, discussions about potential defenses for Ahu Tongariki have been brought to the forefront. Potential defenses for protecting cultural heritage sites like Ahu Tongariki from rising sea levels include armoring the coastline, building breakwaters, and relocating the monuments.
Armoring the coastline involves constructing physical barriers such as seawalls to prevent wave damage and flooding. Building breakwaters offshore can reduce wave energy before it reaches the shore, thereby protecting vulnerable sites. Relocating monuments is a more drastic option where vulnerable statues or cultural assets might be moved to safer inland locations to avoid permanent damage from flooding.
Climate change is the biggest threat to UNESCO's World Heritage marine sites, according to a UNESCO report published last month. Collaborations with local partners emphasise protecting not just physical structures but also the cultural identity and living traditions of the Indigenous Rapa Nui community, which are deeply linked to these sites.
In summary, a combination of engineering defenses (coastal armoring, breakwaters) and heritage management strategies (potential relocation, documentation, and community-based preservation planning) form the likely range of defenses under consideration to protect Easter Island's cultural heritage from the advancing threat of sea level rise.
To view all of AP's environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.
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