Understanding aspects of maritime/underwater cultural heritage (MUCH) and the associated cultural values and integrating them into maritime spatial planning (MSP) processes is a new global challenge alongside the rapid increase in human activities at sea and climate change impacts on the seas and the oceans. This article highlights the significance of cultural values in shaping human interactions with marine environments and how MSP can address the cultural dimensions of marine resources management. The key research question addresses the prerequisites and methods for a better incorporation of MUCH in the MSP processes. This review revealed a diversity of literature addressing the inclusion of MUCH in (a) coastal and marine management but also in (b) marine/maritime spatial planning (346 articles from the Scopus database). In the first case, there is a strong focus on cultural ecosystem services (CES) and cultural values, the role of indigenous and local communities, the transfer of traditional ecological knowledge, and participatory approaches and tools. As for the latter, this review demonstrated quite a lot of relatively recent MSP endeavors that seem to be influenced by the above approaches identified in the coastal and marine management literature. This article concludes that for MSPlans to be innovative and mainly acceptable by local communities, the “missing layer” of socio-cultural values and data is indispensable. Furthermore, a collaborative MSP between governments and regional/provincial authorities may boost sustainable blue activities while preserving ecological and cultural values.

This study presents a comprehensive wildfire risk assessment framework for Rhodes Island, Greece, aimed at quantifying the impacts of climate change on hazard levels and vulnerability in a typical Mediterranean environment. The approach integrates Fire Weather Index (FWI) data, detailed fuel-type mapping, and multiple vulnerability indicators covering ecological, socioeconomic, and population factors, enabling spatially explicit estimates of current and future wildfire risk. Historically, Rhodes mostly faces moderate wildfire risk, mainly in central and northeastern regions, with localised areas of higher risk near settlements and key economic sites. Climate forecasts for 2025–2049 predict a notable increase in hazard, with areas experiencing extreme fire weather (FWI > 50) increasing from 15.19% to 66–72%, across all emission scenarios. Ecological vulnerability is particularly alarming, as 93% of the island is already highly susceptible; fire-prone forest and agricultural zones are expected to move into the highest ecological risk categories, especially in the central mountain areas. The devastating 2023 wildfire, which burned over 17,600 hectares, caused more than €5.8 million in direct damages and led to the largest evacuation in the island’s history, closely aligning with high-risk zones modelled in the framework. An important insight is the limited spatial variation in near-future risk between RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, indicating that significant wildfire intensification is largely unavoidable by mid-century, emphasising the urgent need for quick adaptation and risk mitigation efforts for Mediterranean critical infrastructure and communities.

Understanding aspects of maritime/underwater cultural heritage (MUCH) and the associated cultural values and integrating them into maritime spatial planning (MSP) endeavors, is a new global challenge, alongside the rapid increase of human activities at sea and climate change impacts on the seas and the oceans. The article highlights the significance of cultural values in shaping human interactions with the marine environments, and how MSP can address the cultural dimensions of marine resources management. To this end, a systematic literature review was carried out to address the research question on how maritime/underwater cultural heritage is incorporated into MSP and map relevant academic literature. Following, a methodology that entailed an academic database search and the application of exclusion criteria, 346 articles resulted from Scopus. These articles were classified using science mapping techniques (i.e the VOSviewer Software ) and several categories (clusters) were created. The research showed a diversity of literature addressing the relationship between MUCH and MSP with a strong focus on sustainability, the significance of cultural ecosystem services (CES) and cultural values, the role of indigenous and local communities, but also of local stakeholders, the transfer of traditional knowledge to MSP and the participatory approaches and tools. The article concludes that for MSPlans to be innovative and acceptable by local communities, the “missing layer”of socio-cultural values and data is indispensable. In the MSP process, MUCH should be understood within this broader framework of socio-cultural considerations and values.

The ICARIA Horizon Europe risk-assessment framework and web-based Decision Support System (DSS) were applied in the Southern Aegean Region (Greece) to quantify single- and multi-hazard climate risks (wildfire, heatwave, extreme wind) and to assess adaptation under historical and future climates (SSP1-2.6, SSP5-8.5). The study integrates high-resolution hazard layers (5 km Fire Weather Index, downscaled temperature extremes), satellite-derived land surface temperature (30 m LST for building exposure), asset-level exposure and vulnerability, and probabilistic event-tree-based multi-hazard modelling, and was tested with stakeholders in Rhodes and Syros. Results show increases in wildfire and ecological multi-hazard risk: ecological high-risk (categories 4–5) areas expand by ~10–15%, and economic high-risk zones by ~5–8%. On Rhodes, very high fire-weather days (FWI > 70) rise under SSP5–8.5, and the central mountains shift into the highest ecological risk (category 5). A multi-hazard indicator (FWI > 80, Tmax > 30 °C, wind > 10.8 m/s) identifies persistent future hotspots. The 2023 Rhodes wildfire (~17,600 acres burned; ~€1.29 M electricity, ~€400 k water damage, ~2500 livestock and ~60,000 olive trees lost; ~19,000 evacuees) supports model projections. Adaptation substantially reduces risk. Vegetation substitution (e.g., Ceratonia siliqua, low-flammability stands) cuts category-5 ecological areas by ~30–32% and high-risk economic areas by ~20% (single hazard) and ~28–34% (multi-hazard). On Syros, retrofitting 1980–2010 buildings reduces top-risk classes (4–5) by ~25–35% and lowers thermal-stress exposure. Stakeholder trials found the DSS user-friendly and useful for comparing business-as-usual versus adaptation scenarios and for strategic planning, while highlighting needs for broader hazard coverage and continued support.