Prioritizing barriers to the conservation of cultural heritage buildings in adaptation to urbanization and climate change

Abstract

Urbanization and climate change are significant factors contributing to the damage and degradation of cultural heritage buildings, diminishing their inherent historical, cultural, and social values in many developing nations. Consequently, cultural heritage conservation requires focused attention to support socio-economic development. This paper proposes a priority quantitative model for identifying barriers to cultural heritage conservation from governmental and educational perspectives in Vietnam using the fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Among the 22 identified barriers, the research revealed the top six prioritized barriers: limited human resources, lack of funding, user behavior, difficulty of the approval process, limited community participation, and delays in payment procedures. This study gives practitioners a deeper understanding of the challenges faced during the heritage conservation process. Significantly, this research enriches the body of knowledge about barriers to cultural heritage conservation in developing countries, enabling governments to devise effective strategies and policies for sustainable heritage conservation.