The Impact of Climate Change on Cultural Heritage: The Case of the Tomb of Askia

Authors

  • Mamadou Samaké Site manager of the Tomb of Askia
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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2025.2.03

Published

2025-12-02

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2025): Water Management in World Heritage Properties at a Time of Climate Change

Section

methodologies and case studies

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Mamadou Samaké

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

The Impact of Climate Change on Cultural Heritage: The Case of the Tomb of Askia. (2025). Blue Papers, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2025.2.03

Keywords:

UNESCO World Heritage, Tomb of Askia, cultural heritage protection, desertification, flooding

Abstract

The UN SDG Agenda does not mitigate the impacts of flooding and desertification or address the regional insecurity affecting the Tomb of Askia and the surrounding area, Gao, which is experiencing devastating droughts and rainfall, increasing insecurity. Only through a deeper understanding of the interrelation of these issues and by significant reporting improvements, can we realize the UN 2030 Agenda.

Author Biography

  • Mamadou Samaké, Site manager of the Tomb of Askia

    Mamadou Samaké obtained a degree in history and archaeology from the University of Bamako, Mali, in 2000. He worked on the Ancient Cities of Djenné World Heritage Site from 2004 to 2017, when he became head of the Cultural Mission of Gao and manager of the Tomb of Askia and associated sites. Mr. Samaké is vice-president of the ICOM-Mali National Committee and president of the Malian Committee of the Blue Shield. He has participated in training courses in Burkina Faso and France on archaeology and regional museum management, and ICCROM First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis, in Bamako, Mali, in 2018.

References

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Sustainable Development Report (SDR). 2024. “Mali.” https://dashboards.sdgindex.org/profiles/mali/indicators. Based on The SDGs and the UN Summit of the Future. Sustainable Development Report 2024, edited by J. D. Sachs, G. Lafortune, G. Fuller and G. Iabonovski. Dublin University Press.

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UNESCO, ICCROM, ICOMOS, IUCN, UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 2010. Managing Disaster Risks for World Heritage. https://whc.unesco.org/fr/gerer-les-risques-de-catastrophes/.

UNHCR. 2024. “West and Central Africa Floods Critical Needs for Displaced and Host Communities Affected by Flooding (October 2024–March 2025).” Reliefweb, 30 October. https://reliefweb.int/report/chad/unhcr-west-and-central-africa-floods-critical-needs-displaced-and-host-communities-affected-flooding-october-2024-march-2025.

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Yattara, Al. 2017. Etude d’inventaire du patrimoine mobilier et de mise en place de plans d’urgence du Tombeau des Askia [Unpublished report]. Gao: Museum of the Sahel.