The Administration of Cultural World Heritage Sites and Their Contribution to the Economic Empowerment of Local Communities in Africa

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

For many years, the management of cultural heritage sites and the designation of some of them as World Heritage Sites in Africa were based on European ideas of conservation and this disconnected many African local communities from their cultural heritage sites. As a result, local African communities living near cultural heritage sites were not involved in their conservation and management. Discourses on the administration of cultural heritage sites in many African countries, such as Botswana South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, are now making it possible to engage local people in the management of these sites (see, for example, Pwiti 1997; Musiba and Mabulla 2003). Not only do these discussions bring great prestige to the African States Parties whose sites are designated as World Heritage properties but they are also now making it possible for the local communities to economically benefit from them. Part of the strategy of sustainable management of cultural World Heritage Sites now includes creating opportunities for the local communities to be involved in tourism activities so as to economically empower them and improve their lives. In this chapter, I discuss the administration of cultural World Heritage Sites in Africa and their contribution to the economic empowerment of local communities which subsist near these sites. I use the planned development of paleoanthropological sites of Laetoli and Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania as examples to show how local communities can benefit from cultural World Heritage Sites.KeywordsAfricaCultural heritage managementLaetoliHominin footprintsTanzania