Preventive conservation – a means of sustainability of cultural heritage: The case of the M’Zab Valley

Abstract

Abstract The management of heritage sites is fundamental to their conservation and sustainability, and more broadly, it contributes to the preservation of the environment. This article highlights the conservation plan developed for one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Algerian context: the M’Zab Valley in Ghardaïa. It has managed to preserve its specific character over the centuries thanks to the management operations that have been necessary for its continuity. The main question of this study is what are the management actions adopted in the M’Zab Valley with regard to the Ksourian architectural heritage to ensure its sustainability? Given the exploratory nature of this research, we chose a qualitative and inductive method. The study is based on a combination of several investigative tools: interviews, observations and photographs. The aim of the article is to highlight the efforts made by the Algerian public authorities and the local community to implement cultural heritage management measures in a particular context. The results of the analysis reveal, first, that the implementation of the permanent plan for the safeguarding and enhancement of the protected sector of the M’Zab Valley has proven itself in the preservation of monuments, sites and historic buildings, but also all the contexts associated with the daily life of people. Second, the rehabilitation operations of the historic ksour shall ensure the authenticity of the buildings and their integrity with the environment will be kept while adapting them to the current needs of users. Third, the combination of efforts between public institutions, the Office for the Protection and Promotion of the Valley of M’Zab, the local community and associations avoided the weakening of traditions and ancestral values through awareness missions, heritage education programmes, the application of heritage laws and regulations, and scientific and historical documentation of local heritage. Finally, the involvement of the local community in all operations on their local heritage ensures the transfer of local knowledge.