Though awareness of the risk to historic sites and natural wonders is growing, the effort to tackle the problem is in its infancy. Much could be done to shore up old buildings, but that is invariably expensive — and most park services and heritage agencies are badly underfunded. In Tasmania, the archaeology manager of the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority, David Roe, wrestles with such questions. The historic site has spent $5 million reinforcing old prison buildings, which are under attack by the rising salt water in the soil and also vulnerable to wind damage. “We can’t retreat” from the rising sea, Dr. Roe said.

Source: New York Times April 26, 2017 06:56 UTC