Integrating community perception, CVI, and DPSIR approaches for climate risk assessment of the Persepolis world heritage site

Climate change is a global phenomenon that has significant impacts on cultural heritage sites, including World Heritage Sites. This article explores the vulnerability of the Persepolis World Heritage Site (WHS) in Iran to the impacts of climate change, using an integrated approach that combines community perception, the Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI), and the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework. The study identifies the interdependence between the vulnerability of WHSs and the local communities through stakeholders’ perception and CVI. It also highlights the indirect impacts of climate change on the site's authenticity and integrity and the livelihoods of local communities. The DPSIR framework is used to understand drivers and pressures that contribute to vulnerability and the complex relationships between environmental factors and human activities and to suggest a range of responses, including the development of more efficient irrigation practices, the implementation of groundwater management plans, and efforts to adapt traditional water management systems to modern needs. We suggest that a multidisciplinary and integrated approach is necessary for effective vulnerability assessment and management of WHSs facing climate change.