ABSTRACT
For marginal heritage, which falls on the boundary between authorities of responsibility, there are added vulnerabilities of neglect. In the case of coastal heritage, there is the literal confrontation of water and land which must be understood to always be at risk. Indeed, Ruskin’s intellectual focus on the man-made water city of Venice was a key contributor to the conception of nineteenth-century conservation philosophy. The depiction and description of conditions are essential.
In the context of climate change, the IPCC highlight the need to anticipate the impacts of extreme weather events and sea level rises. Recording the condition of maritime heritage over time is of increasing importance. As the need to accelerate the documentation process is becoming more apparent, the capacity to do so for a reasonable cost is made significantly more viable with evolving technologies. With the consciousness of inevitable environmental change becoming universal, the desire for greater participation in this task is better met.
This chapter explores with reference to forthcoming CIPA ICOMOS guidelines on documenting Cultural Heritage and how accessible rapid digital mapping can serve these requirements going forward.
