Cities Culture and Climate Change Learning from the Republic of Korea Experience (English)

This report presents the results ofcomprehensive research on cultural heritageand sustainable tourism sector (CHST) andclimate change, carried out in partnershipbetween the World Bank and the KoreaResearch Institute for Human Settlements(KRIHS). The report focuses on the climate-changeimpact on heritage sites and tourism destinations,documenting good adaptation practices, andexplores the sector’s contribution to climate actionand mitigation strategies. The report analyzes casestudies from Republic of Korea and documents theways the country has incorporated climate actionsinto policies to enhance sustainability and resilience.Effective practices are presented from different areas,beginning with Korea’s national policy infrastructure,where the regulatory side of climate action ispresented, and continues with concrete case studiesthat cover some of the main pillars of culture andtourism; that is, a large city (Seoul), a secondary cityof cultural heritage significance (Suwon), and a majortourism destination with predominantly naturalheritage and coastal attractions (Jeju Island). Basedon analysis and reviews of other global cases andliterature, the report presents operational guidanceand a proposed framework for cities and nationalpolicy makers on the contribution of cultural heritageand sustainable tourism to climate action and thusmeeting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11(Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13(Climate Action) targets.