AIC's 44th Annual Meeting

Northwest part of India, better known as ‘ Thar’ Desert has always been famous for its Dry climatic condition, thin vegetation cover and comparatively low biological activities. Any change in climate may lead to destabilization of its balance with surrounding living and non living things including art material heritage. Climate change is being discussed frequently at political and research level, mostly focused on environmental, industry, energy, and health. Until now it has not been considered as threat to material heritage which needs to be transmitted to future generation. Thar desert which includes western part of Rajasthan has very rich cultural heritage, especially world famous Marwar Miniature painting on paper which consist sophisticated technique and material science, considered to be very sensitive to its surrounding climate so any change in climatic factors could initiate complex inter or intra molecular activity to cause irreversible damage in painting. In recent years as indirect effect of global warming, wind patterns are gradually changing in this region and normally blowing southwest winds are being replaced by eastern and other abnormal wind direction, as a result receiving more rain and consequently generating more moisture in air and soil, facilitating favorable conditions for microbiological activities including molds and insects. In this way climate change not only inducing destructive internal structural changes in painting but also promotes external damages as indirect or direct consequences of biological activities on and around object’s surface.