Smart Environmental Technologies for Safeguarding Tangible Heritage: From Microclimate Control to Predictive Deterioration Modelling

Authors

  • Shuang Li

    Department of Humanities and Arts, Fuzhou University Zhi Cheng College, Fuzhou 350000, China
  • Jun Chen

    School of Music and Dance, Bengbu University, Bengbu 233000, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i6.13248
Received: 13 February 2026| Revised: 29 April 2026 | Accepted: 3 May 2026 | Published Online: 4 June 2026

Abstract

The environmental conditions determine the long-term conservation of tangible cultural heritage, affecting the processes of physical, chemical, and biological degradation of materials and situations over an extensive spectrum. The last few years have seen expansive gains in sensing technology, data acquisition, and analysis procedures, which have facilitated the creation of intelligent environmental practices that surpass the conventional and unchanging conservation policies. This review presents a recap on existing studies in smart environmental technologies to preserve tangible heritage with a focus on the spectrum between environmental monitoring and intelligent microclimate control, predictive deterioration modelling, and decision support. The paper reviews the main environmental hazards to build, movable, and outdoor heritage sites and outlines how high-resolution surveillance systems, sensor networks, and non-invasive methods deliver the data base of adaptive conservation management. Intelligent microclimate control strategies are studied in the context of the ability to achieve conservation performance, energy efficiency, and sustainability. Special focus is made on predictive deterioration modelling, which can include physics-based, empirical, and data-driven models, and the issues of validation, uncertainty, and interpretability in heritage. The combination of these elements as part of decision support structures is noted as a critical move to preventive and risk-based conservation. Through a critical analysis of the existing capacities and capacities, the review outlines the main gaps in the current research and the way forward in the future of designing resilient, data-infused heritage conservation systems that can address the strategic shifts in the environmental and climatic forces.

Keywords:

Smart Environmental Technologies; Tangible Cultural Heritage; Microclimate Control; Predictive Deterioration Modelling; Preventive Conservation

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How to Cite

Li, S., & Chen, J. (2026). Smart Environmental Technologies for Safeguarding Tangible Heritage: From Microclimate Control to Predictive Deterioration Modelling. Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences, 8(6), 20–34. https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i6.13248

Issue

Vol. 8 , Iss. 6 (June 2026): In Progress

Article Type

Review

License

Copyright © 2026 Shuang Li, Jun Chen

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

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