The Existing Challenges of Heritage Management in Gondar World Heritage Sites: A Case Study on Fasil Ghebbi and the Baths

Heritage management is an administrative means by which heritage resources are protected from natural and manmade cause of deterioration. The town of Gondar is located in Northwestern Ethiopia and it has outstanding and outstay world cultural heritage resources situated at its hub. However, these stunning properties are threatened with multidimensional heritage management problems. So, the main aim of this paper is to identify the main and existing challenges and show the severity of the problems in comparison with different case studies in the world. It compiled through qualitative research method with descriptive research design. And data were collected through survey, participant observation and photographic documentation and interpretation. The collected data also compiled by qualitative method of data analysis. The main and the existing challenges of Gondar’s world heritage sites, specifically of the Fasil Ghebbi and the baths are plant overgrowth, human activities on the immediate vicinity of the sites (that leads to vibration of the structures and noise disturbance), negligence, visitors pressure, improper conservation, nonexistence or inapplicability of heritage management plan, Lack of tourist follow-up system as a means for deliberate graffiti of heritages, lack of cooperation among the concerned bodies and unavailability of directions and instructions. Finally, it is highly recommended to made immediate intervention on each problems.

Understanding the spatiotemporal variation and drivers of ecosystem services is fundamental to optimal management and sustainable development of World Heritage (WH) sites. Although WH sites face multiple natural and anthropogenic threats, our understanding of their ecosystem services is still limited, especially for karst WH sites. In this study, we assessed habitat quality (HQ), carbon storage (CS), soil retention (SR), water conservation (WC), and the combined ecosystem service (CES) of karst and non-karst WH sites in Southwest China from 2000 to 2020 using the InVEST model. We also assessed trade-offs/synergies among ecosystem services using the spatial overlay method, and identified driving factors of variation in ecosystem services using geographical detector and structural equation models. The results showed that ecosystem services of the WH sites exhibited high spatiotemporal variation. In particular, there were higher values in the property zone than in the buffer zone, and an increasing trend in SR but a decreasing trend in HQ and CES over time. Compared to non-karst sites, karst WH sites had significantly lower values of HQ, CS, SR, and CES, but higher spatial heterogeneity in CS, WC, and CES. Weak trade-offs among ecosystem services dominated the WH sites, with the proportion of weak synergies increasing over time. Compared to non-karst sites, karst WH sites had a significantly lower proportion of strong synergies and a significantly higher proportion of weak synergies. The provision of ecosystem services was primarily influenced by natural factors (e.g., landscape division index and normalized difference vegetation index), followed by anthropogenic factors (e.g., distance from road and population density). Overall, these findings may have important implications for decision-making aimed at protecting the outstanding universal value, authenticity, and integrity of WH with different attributes.

Tourism space reconstruction of a world heritage site based on actor network theory: A case study of the Shibing Karst of the South China Karst World Heritage Site

PurposeThe sixth of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has access to improved sanitation as one of its targets. Sanitation is important not only for environmental quality and public health but also for the outstanding universal value (OUV) of heritage monument sites and tourism promotion. The study examined the causes of open defecation (OD) in the neighbourhood of a World Heritage (WH) site in Ghana and the implications of the practice for sustainable tourism and heritage management.Design/methodology/approachThe study used the qualitative approach. Data were gathered from purposively targeted respondents (an Environmental Health Officer, Heritage Managers, a Tourism Expert, Hoteliers, Zoomlion Staff, Open Defecators, Community Opinion Leaders and Ordinary Community Residents) and analysed using the thematic approach.FindingsIt became evident that the causes of OD were: the lack of toilet facilities in many houses in the community, filthy and foul-smelling public latrines, poor attitude and heritage culture, mental and income poverty, inadequate sensitisation and a poor law enforcement regime. OD threatened the sustainability of heritage tourism and its associated livelihoods, as well as public health. In addition, it impaired the authenticity and integrity of the heritage monument, culminating in a detraction from the OUV of the heritage property.Practical implicationsIn collaboration with the local, national and international stakeholders, the managers of the heritage monument should design and implement a comprehensive environmentally friendly plan. The plan should consider demarcating the boundaries of the heritage asset, monitoring the protected area, enforcing sanitation laws and mounting intensive sanitation education campaigns. It should also consider providing a decent toilet in the vicinity of the monument for the transit population, facilitate the provision of a toilet in every house through the community-led total sanitation approach, installing digital cameras at vantage points in the buffer zone of the castle to capture open defecators and punishing offenders severely to deter others from engaging in the ignoble practice of OD.Originality/valueThe authors argue that sanitation at heritage sites in developing countries merits further discussion within the WH network to promote sustainable heritage conservation management and tourism.

Abstract. Without a doubt 2020 will be remembered worldwide as the year of risk and emergency, in this case a health emergency, and of new communication technologies. When work began in 2018 on the organisation of “HERITAGE2020 (3DPast | RISK-Terra), International Conference on Vernacular Architecture in World Heritage Sites. Risks and New Technologies”, the new technologies applied to vernacular heritage and risk were on the rise, although nobody could have foreseen how central they would become to everyday life in 2020. “HERITAGE2020 (3DPast | RISK-Terra), International Conference on Vernacular Architecture in World Heritage Sites. Risks and New Technologies” is organised within the framework of two research projects. The first, “3D Past – Living and visiting European World Heritage” (2017–2020), was co-funded by the European Union as part of the Creative Europe Programme, led by Escola Superior Gallaecia (Portugal) in partnership with Universitat Politécnica de València (Spain) and Università degli Studi di Firenze (Italy). The main aim of this project has been to promote the inhabited vernacular heritage declared as World Heritage Sites in Europe by trying to promote its valorization through new technologies, both for local residents and potential visitors. Vernacular heritage, new communication technologies and heritage management for valorization and sustainable tourism are the central themes of this European project. In 2020, these issues have become even more important for the survival, understanding and valorization of heritage, particularly vernacular heritage, which today provides a solid opportunity for cultural and sustainable tourism, where these new technologies make it possible to reach a wider public in search of locations better suited to social distancing. The second project involved in this conference is “RISK-Terra. Earthen architecture in the Iberian Peninsula: study of natural, social and anthropic risks and strategies to improve resilience” (RTI2018-095302-B-I00) (2019–2021), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. This project is geared towards the conservation of earthen architecture in the Iberian Peninsula, both monumental and vernacular, which continues to be undervalued and barely recognized. The RISK-Terra project aims to provide scientific coverage of the study of natural threats (floods, earthquakes, climate change), social threats (abandonment, social discredit, demographic pressure, tourist development), and anthropic threats (neglect, lack of protection and maintenance), as well as the mechanisms for deterioration and dynamics and transformation (replacement, use of incompatible techniques and materials, etc.) to which architecture is exposed. The objective of the project is to establish strategies for conservation, intervention and rehabilitation which make it possible to prevent and mitigate possible damage through compatible actions and/or actions to increase resilience.As these two projects have major points of contact with potential for common reflection, their main themes have been combined in this Heritage2020 conference. The topics established for the conference are: vernacular architecture (study and cataloguing of vernacular architecture; conservation and restoration of vernacular architecture; urban studies on vernacular architecture; sustainability in vernacular architecture); new technologies applied to architectural and archaeological heritage (digital documentation and state-of-the-art developments; digital analysis in heritage; digital heritage related to social context; digital heritage solutions and best practices for dissemination); architectural heritage management (management and protection of UNESCO World Heritage Sites; social participation in heritage management; regulations and policies in heritage management; intangible heritage: the management of know-how and local building culture); risks in architectural heritage (studies of natural risks in architectural heritage; studies of social and anthropic risks in architectural heritage, preventive actions in order to improve resilience in architectural heritage; actions and strategies in post-disaster situations); earthen architectural heritage (study and cataloguing of earthen architectures; construction techniques that employ earth; sustainability mechanisms in vernacular earthen architectures; restoration and conservation of earthen architecture).The scientific committee was made up of 98 outstanding researchers from 29 countries from the five continents, specialists in the subjects proposed. All the contributions to the conference, both the abstracts and the final texts, were subjected to a strict peer-review evaluation system by the members of the scientific committee.Out of the over 300 proposals submitted, over 150 papers by 325 authors from 27 countries from the five continents were chosen for publication.

1. Human rights and World Heritage: preserving our common dignity through rights-based approaches to site management Part I: Theoretical and Practical Considerations 2. Human rights and cultural heritage. Observations on the recognition of human rights in the international doctrine 3. Cultural diversity, cultural heritage and human rights: towards heritage management as human rights-based cultural practice 4. Heritage interpretation and human rights: documenting diversity, expressing identity, or establishing universal principles? 5. World Heritage and Indigenous rights: Norwegian examples 6. Human rights and cultural property protection in times of conflict 7. World Heritage and rights-based approaches to nature conservation Part II: Case Studies 8. Lhasa community, world heritage and human rights 9. Kalwaria Zebrzydowska cultural landscape 10. World heritage sites, human rights and cultural heritage in Palestine 11. Maintaining Timbuktu's unique tangible and intangible heritage 12. East Africa World Heritage Network and stakeholder priorities 13. Embedding shared heritage: the cultural heritage rights of London's African and Asian diaspora communities

There has been a fundamental shift in the societal and academic perception of cultural heritage and the role of local communities since the UNESCO member states adopted the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage Convention) over half a century ago. Initially characterized by a linear perspective focused on conserving objects in their original materiality, this understanding has gradually broadened and evolved into a holistic and systemic conceptualization of cultural heritage. The paper argues that contemporary challenges, such as pandemics, armed conflicts, and the climate crisis, require dynamic and adaptive management strategies for World Heritage sites. However, the formal role of World Heritage site management remains poorly defined, lacking detailed descriptions of the competencies and responsibilities necessary to address these evolving challenges effectively. This contribution critically examines the requirements for modern site management. It emphasizes the need for a more comprehensive approach that includes not only tangible and intangible heritage but also all the elements of the interlinked heritage system, including context, actors, processes, etc. It outlines the essential roles, personal qualities, and skills required for managers to cope with the complexity of heritage management today. The article provides valuable insights into the Regensburg World Heritage Management Plan as an example of sustainable and inclusive cultural heritage management. It emphasizes an action-oriented, participatory approach to the management of historic urban landscapes that effectively reconciles conservation with sustainable urban development. The case study underscores the importance of interdisciplinary coordination, stakeholder collaboration and capacity building tailored to the current site management challenges. By offering a practical and adaptable approach, it serves as a replicable template for other World Heritage sites wishing to implement sustainable, inclusive, and adaptive management practices.

Geological hazards in the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the UK: From the global to the local scale perspective

This chapter explores visitor perception of heritage mission and management practices at Trang An Landscape Complex, a World Heritage Site inscribed by UNESCO in 2014. Quantitative research methods were employed to survey 150 international and 128 domestic tourists. In comparison to international tourists, domestic groups demand both physical and intellectual accessibility as well as value-for-money travel. Regarding heritage management, international tourists are enthusiastic about uniqueness, identity, and local community representation, but they are critical about conservation, education, and interpretation. The analysis of current heritage governance reveals a need for Trang An management board to pay attention to issues of overcrowding and integrate development opportunities in a buffer zone with tourism and heritage management.

World Heritage (WH) sites are areas for international conservation of nature and culture with outstanding universal values. The Nordic countries possess two large landscapes with WH recognition that serve as a base for this study, the WH Laponia and the WH High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago. The WH Laponia in Sweden combines both cultural and natural value; the Norwegian area of Laponia is not designated WH, but represents an area with governmental ambitions to become an UNESCO WH site. The WH High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago (Sweden/Finland) is a serial-nominated, transnational WH site designated purely on nature merits. Within these WH sites, there are local communities and indigenous peoples with democratic rights who participate in the management of the areas and use the local resources of their natural environment.This article analyses the processes of WH nomination and implementation of the WH Convention (1972) in the Nordic countries. It also depicts a strong Nordic tradition of transnational learning (TNL) which is also used within WH governance. The article uses comparative methods and theories of governance, co-management, transnational governance and TNL in the analysis of the transboundary WH sites. The empirical results illustrate the challenges of local democratic participation in the national and transnational decision-making regarding nomination and implementation of the WH Convention. It suggests that deficiency of democratic participation during early stages in pre-WH designation processes may be compensated by TNL. Learning between and within WH-related networks and groups, show in the Nordic perspective examples of incorporating WH stakeholders in cooperation across national borders. TNL may be restricted by cultural and legal limitations.

Although there are more than 270,000 protected areas worldwide, there is currently little data on their protection and management effectiveness. As a kind of protected area, natural world heritage (WH) sites are small but represent some of the most important natural landscapes, covering a very large area. But natural WH is threatened by climate change, natural disasters and human activities. Therefore, to achieve the sustainable development of WH sites, it is very important to analyze the management status of WH sites. Based on this, the study extracts inspiration from Enhancing our Heritage Toolkit: Assessing management effectiveness of natural World Heritage sites. An assessment system of the management effectiveness (ME) of natural WH sites has been established, which has three dimensions (including management foundation, management measures, and management performances) and 21 indexes. The reliability and validity of the index system are tested using the exploratory factor analysis method, and the results show that the index system has good reliability and validity. Then principal component analysis and comprehensive assessment methods are used to analyze the ME of the Fanjingshan WH site. The results show that the management effectiveness of the Fanjingshan WH Site is relatively excellent, but it still faces challenges from tourism development and community participation.

Reflecting on water and heritage as a system linking nature and culture raises challenges and opportunities for both water and heritage management. This case study explores what integrating water and heritage management means for Mantua and Sabbioneta, two cities in Northern Italy listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site because of artistic, architectural and urban values associated with the Renaissance. It considers how World Heritage management recalls water-based visions, interactions between heritage institutions and water institutions and the role of water in innovative heritage projects promoting local communities’ involvement and challenging partnerships. It argues that embedding water and heritage relationships for sustainable development could be recognized as an opportunity for the Mantua and Sabbionetta World Heritage Site to integrate Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11 and 8 with goals 4, 12, 15 and 17.

ABSTRACTThis research examines three themes: heritage management and conservation activities, local communities and tourism development in Kii World Heritage Site (WHS) after WHS designation. Kii is a cultural WHS having links with Japanese religions and consisting of shrines, temples and pilgrimage routes. This study inductively and qualitatively examines these three themes. Overall, the current status of Kii WHS is satisfactory. Local people, tourists/visitors and experts are all actively involved in heritage management and conservation activities. WHS listing seems to have enhanced local identity, increased local people's pride in their culture and place of residence, and triggered a revitalisation of local culture. Moreover, tourism's negative impacts appear to be minimal, despite an increase in the number of visitors since UNESCO inscription. There are a few issues to be improved, which derive mainly from a lack of understanding of WHS status or conflicts between heritage management/tourism and religious practices. A more holistic approach, such as establishing a forum consisting of all key stakeholders, would be useful for the further success of Kii WHS as a religious and sacred site, place to live and tourist destination.

The main purpose of this article is to portray locals’ perception of tourism impact, rural development and the role of the local communities in two World Heritage (WH) sites. The impact of WH on tourism is a much-debated matter for both WH practitioners and academics while United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) during the last 10 years has emphasised the concept of “community” as an integrated feature of the WH strategy. The results are based on an empirical attitude study in combination with focus group interviews portraying local residents’ perception of WH designation and tourism in the transnational WH High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago situated in Sweden and Finland. The overall local perception of WH designation is quite similar in both countries, although ways of administrating WH sites differ. The results show an overall positive attitude towards local tourism development, but a relatively low understanding of UNESCO WH concept. High Coast residents seem to be overall more positive than the locals in Kvarken to the WH designation and a possible increase in tourism. The Finnish authorities, on the one hand, seem to have a stronger urge to benefit from the WH status than their Swedish counterparts. Nevertheless, the WH status in the rural areas of the High Coast region fits into a larger destination building and does not alone constitute the driving force for regional tourism development. Both WH sites show a limited and partly conflict-laden collaboration between communities and authorities in WH planning. Improved cooperation between actors would give WH and tourism a better chance to develop and at the same time display a more positive image of the WH sites.

Norman has sensitively and sensibly opened a can of very squirmy worms. Her question, “Should the UK Be Nominating More World Heritage Sites?” resonates with fundamental issues that will plague archaeology and heritage management with increasing virulence in the future. How are the trade-offs between economic impact and outstanding universal cultural value (OUV) to be managed? How are equities to be balanced within countries, continents or, most profoundly, between North/South nation states. What heritage is of universal value, and how is recognition of OUV to be apportioned between natural endowments and human-made locations? And what should be the essential goals of the World Heritage Sites (WHS) process—protection and conservation as absolute priorities, or economic development and cost/benefit effectiveness? Norman’s analysis brings to these questions the sensitivity of a committed heritage manager and the cautious realism of a practitioner fresh from the trenches. Her article at least touches on all of these issues, and my comment does not attempt to offer a perspective on every one. Rather, I choose to take issue with Norman’s conclusion that “Ultimately, the argument seems to be an ethical one” (Norman, 2011: 77). Without disputing the ethical issues she raises, nor the importance of ethical considerations in this matter, I argue that her article and the underlying research to which she refers make a much stronger case for considering the economic consequences of the World Heritage inscription process than perhaps she herself recognizes. There are four points to consider: First, the reality is that the UK, like the rest of the world, is entering into an era of constrained economic resources that will disproportionately affect heritage-related activities in favor of social services. Second, a paucity of hard data and sound evaluation has rendered impossible up-or-down judgments on the value, economic or otherwise, of WHS status. Third, Norman’s paper and related materials raise the specter that WHS “branding” may have diminishing or even negligible returns to the investment made in achieving WHS status. Fourth, therefore, the increasing need for sponsors of potential World Heritage Sites need to give far greater weight to their opportunity costs and the potential returns to investment. I would like to consider each of these matters in order. No regular reader of the daily newspapers could fail to be aware that the present UK government’s budget has severely slashed support for heritage-related matters. English Heritage has suffered draconian budget reductions, and UK universities that underwrite so much heritagerelated work are under profound pressure to demonstrate their “impact,” prominently to include economic value. And of course, the UK is not alone. Most of the world is under severe economic pressure. Greece is wrestling with a profound crisis of government financing. Facing lesser pressures, Italy has placed responsibility for heritage, museums and antiquities in the hands of a former McDonalds Corporation executive who is actively evaluating privatizing iconic sites such as the Colosseum. The United States is on a budget trajectory to reduce funding for its vast system of parks and for other forms of heritage. Japan is recovering from a natural disaster. These economic pressures are global in nature, with only a few fortunate nations in Asia seemingly immune from pressures on national budget priorities. In this environment, any actions to preserve heritage or