Coastal and underwater cultural heritage will feature in several events during COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, in November 2026. Activities within the conference will be accompanied by films and a photography exhibition at Antalya Airport, bringing underwater archaeology to a wider public.
On 13 November, a panel in the COP31 Blue Zone will explore the impacts of climate change on coastal and underwater cultural heritage. The event is organised by Akdeniz University Underwater Archaeology Research Center and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, with support from the UNESCO Turkish National Commission.
Moderated by Nuri Aksu and Hakan Öniz, the panel will feature Aktoty Raimkulova, COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev, Laro Canoura Gonzales, Massimo Capulli and Blazej Stanislawski. A stand at the venue will distribute copies of the new volume on climate change and coastal and underwater cultural heritage, produced within the ICOMOS Heritage at Risk series.
From 10 to 17 November, the UNESCO Underwater Archaeology Network – CCCUCH Platform, supported by the Mediterranean Archaeology Association, will host a booth in the COP31 Green Zone. Visitors will be able to learn about the risks facing coastal and underwater heritage and download the book directly to their mobile devices through a QR code.
The subject will also be addressed on 12 November through a keynote at Insurance House, whose events bring together insurers from around the world. The book will be available to interested attendees, extending the discussion to professionals concerned with climate risk and its consequences.
At Antalya Airport, films showcasing underwater archaeological work are being displayed on video screens and will continue throughout COP31. On 13 November, a photography exhibition documenting ongoing underwater excavations along Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast will open at the entrance to the airport’s domestic terminal.
