ABSTRACT Cultural Routes (CR) are increasingly recognised as effective models for transnational cultural and tourism management, particularly for rural and peripheral territories. By connecting natural and cultural heritage across borders, CR contribute to local development, territorial identity, and interregional cooperation. However, despite their growing policy relevance, most CR lack systematic sustainability monitoring practices, and research addressing impact measurement along routes remains limited. This gap is largely due to the absence of tailored monitoring tools, weak institutional coordination, limited resources, and the complexity of assessing impacts across multiple spatial scales. This paper addresses this gap by proposing a governance-oriented sustainability monitoring framework that is conceptually developed through engagement with existing empirical and policy-oriented initiatives. The framework is developed in relation to the Ibero-American Programme on Cultural Routes and Itineraries promoted by the Organisation of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture. Rather than treating monitoring as a purely technical exercise, the proposed approach conceptualises participatory sustainability monitoring as a governance mechanism that fosters stakeholder collaboration, social learning, and collective reflection on development pathways. By advancing a structured yet flexible monitoring framework, the paper contributes to the development of more robust analytical tools for assessing the multi-dimensional impacts of transnational CR, supporting route managers and providing policymakers with evidence-informed insights for long-term territorial development and interregional cooperation.

Atmospheric bulk deposition of microplastics in Jiuzhaigou World Natural Heritage Site: Tourism-associated divergence between particle number and polymer mass fluxes.

ABSTRACT Drawing on nearly 2 years of qualitative fieldwork involving interviews, informal conversations, and spatial observations, this article explores the striking absence of public discomfort towards imperial monuments in postcolonial states. Taking Lutyens’ Delhi as its empirical focus, it demonstrates how material remnants of imperialism have been normalised and embraced as national heritage in postcolonial India. What began as an inquiry into public responses to the 2019 Central Vista redevelopment evolved into a broader examination of Lutyens’ Delhi as a celebrated symbol of nationhood despite its origins in domination and exclusivity. The concept of uncomfortable heritage helps frame this paradox, which is further developed by conceptualising the area as a contested field of memory. The analysis identifies three forms of memory works – appeals to institutional authority, aesthetic valuation, and affective detachment – that mediate public engagement with imperial space and facilitate the selective absorption of colonial histories. To unsettle the apparent naturalisation of these processes, the paper finally introduces Dharōhara as an indigenous conceptual counterpoint to Eurocentric heritage discourse, foregrounding alternative ethical relationships to the past that exceed preservationist and aesthetic logics.

ABSTRACT This article examines the relationship between cosmopolitanism, heritage, and authenticity in Oman, focusing on Afro-Omani musical and ritual traditions and in particular on the genre of lēwa. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with musicians, heritage officials, archivists, and community elders, alongside participant observation and archival analysis, it argues that cosmopolitanism has not corroded tradition in Oman. Rather, long histories of Indian Ocean mobility and cultural exchange were among the conditions through which Omani tradition took shape. The article introduces the concept of cosmopolitan authenticity to describe traditions whose legitimacy emerges through historically normalised exchange rather than through cultural purity. By tracing the origins, performance contexts, and current heritage status of lēwa, it shows how a genre shaped by East African and Baloch connections has been absorbed into Omani social life and national heritage discourse as an authoritative expression of local tradition. A further strand of the argument concerns the interaction between community practice and official heritage institutions: tradition is made neither by communities alone nor by state frameworks alone, but in the negotiated space between them. The findings bear on cosmopolitanism studies, critical heritage studies, and scholarship on the western Indian Ocean world.

Occurrence, cross-media transport, and ecological risks of tire-derived contaminants 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone in Jiuzhaigou World Natural Heritage Site, China.

ABSTRACT Australia’s marine environment underpins national identity, economic prosperity and cultural heritage, yet fragmented information systems limit the ability of decision-makers to connect ocean health with economic activity, social wellbeing and long-term sustainability. This paper presents an implementation roadmap for Ocean Accounts in Australia, developed through a community whitepaper process informing the 2026–2035 National Marine Science Strategy. Ocean accounting extends the System of National Accounts and the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting to integrate environmental, economic, social and cultural information within a coherent framework that incorporates risk, governance and uncertainty. By linking natural capital stocks, ecosystem condition, service flows, beneficiaries and distributional outcomes, Ocean Accounts enable transparent evaluation of trade-offs, tracking of sustainability objectives, and identification of blue economy pathways that maintain natural capital while delivering equitable benefits. Indigenous, Traditional and Local knowledge – where communities choose to participate – provides essential perspectives, requiring Indigenous-led, culturally appropriate processes. We outline marine science priorities needed to underpin national implementation across ecosystem assets, ocean-dependent economic activities, social and cultural dimensions, information infrastructure and institutional capacity. A phased roadmap describes near-term investments in data foundations and coordination, medium-term standardisation and integration, and long-term routine production of comprehensive accounts to support evidence-based, nationally consistent ocean governance.

With the ongoing climate changes, the Arctic is experiencing large changes, which have the potential to negatively influence natural environments, human settlements, and cultural heritage. The permanently frozen ground (permafrost) and the seasonally thawing and freezing active layer is sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. With permafrost degradation and active layer thickening, Arctic cultural heritage and modern buildings can be increasingly affected by permafrost-related hazards. Mitigating these hazards requires implementation of tools at the local to regional scale. This paper presents a spatial dataset of permafrost-related hazards in Svalbard, integrating three geospatial indicators documenting (1) geomorphology-based hazard susceptibility, (2) Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) ground movement, and (3) coastal erosion hazard susceptibility based on the distance to the coastlines. The resulting hazard indicator is combined with vulnerability indicators to provide risk estimates for cultural heritage sites and modern buildings in and around Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund. The dataset includes the products from all steps, from the initial spatial geodata to the hazard/vulnerability indicators and risk estimates.

A viewpoint on threats to natural heritage values of parks and protected areas

Assessment of the “Capacity-Usage” Relationship of Recreational Service Functions in the River Corridors of the Three Parallel Rivers World Natural Heritage Site

Coral communities (i.e., soft and hard corals) in Korean waters persist in temperate coastal environments characterized by strong seasonal variability and episodic hydrographic extremes. Within a protected coastal seascape of high ecological and socio-economic value, designated as a UNESCO natural heritage site for its vibrant soft coral gardens, we report the first observation of widespread collapse in soft corals. Based on in situ photographs, we document a previously undescribed loss-of-structural-integrity phenomenon in soft corals. We term this a "slumping event." We define slumping in organisms lacking rigid skeletal support as collapse of the hydrostatic skeleton. The event affected multiple species of non-symbiotic octocorallian soft corals (family Nephtheidae), for which we describe four morphological stages: drooping, dangle, deflation, and disintegration, with a potential additional "inflation" stage. These represent descriptive categories based on cross-sectional observations rather than a confirmed temporal sequence. Environmental analyses indicate that the event coincided with anomalous hydrographic conditions characterized by sustained low salinity and elevated temperature. To quantify prolonged freshwater exposure, we introduce the Degree Freshening Week (DFW) metric, capturing the cumulative duration and intensity of hypo-saline stress, highlighting the importance of stress persistence rather than short-term extremes. This study provides the first field-based documentation and definition of soft coral slumping in situ. The aim is to present initial observations of this phenomenon in a hypothesis-generating context to guide further investigation into the effects of compound environmental stress on temperate coral communities.

Oceanic islands are global biodiversity hotspots, yet they face disproportionate risks of species extinction. The Azores archipelago holds a unique flora composed of 94 endemic vascular plant taxa (species and subspecies) that are strictly endemic to the Azores, which represents about 32% of the native vascular flora. Here, we present the first comprehensive IUCN Red List assessment of the Azorean endemic vascular flora, based on more than 10,600 curated occurrence records, herbaria specimens, and recent field surveys. We found that nearly 60% of assessed taxa are threatened with extinction, Endangered being the most frequent IUCN category. Two species are confirmed Extinct, and 12 taxa remain Data Deficient due to unresolved taxonomy. The Red List Index (RLI) for Azorean endemics was calculated at 0.602, indicating a concerning level of extinction risk and, importantly, providing a reference point for monitoring future changes in conservation status. Spatial analysis revealed that endemic taxa richness is highly uneven, with most areas hosting few or no endemics. Notably, 12 hotspots occur outside the current protected area network, leaving key refuges for endemic taxa unprotected. These findings underscore the urgent need to expand legal protection, prioritise the management of invasive taxa, restore degraded habitats, and integrate newly described taxa into conservation frameworks. By establishing a baseline for monitoring extinction risk, this study provides a critical tool to guide conservation action in the Azores, and contributes to broader efforts to safeguard the unique natural heritage of oceanic islands.

Using a data-driven analysis of Google Reviews, this study examines visitor sentiment regarding various tourist attractions on Sumba Island. As the reliance on online review platforms grows, understanding visitor perceptions becomes crucial for effective destination management and sustainable tourism development A total of 801 user-generated ratings were obtained via web scraping from various natural and cultural sites in Sumba. To ensure analytical consistency, structured preprocessing was conducted on the obtained data, which included text cleaning, normalization, tokenization, stop-word removal, and stemming. Sentiment classification was carried out using the VADER (Valence Aware Dictionary and Sentiment Reasoner) methodology, which categorizes sentiments into positive, neutral, and negative review categories. The research revealed that positive sentiment predominated in the dataset, representing 61.2% of all reviews, indicating that visitors appreciate Sumba's natural landscapes and cultural heritage. Negative sentiments, which made up 10.2% of the total, were mainly linked to confusing pricing strategies, non-standardized supplementary charges, limited access to information, and unsatisfactory interactions with local service providers. Neutral ratings accounted for 28.6% of the data and typically offered detailed descriptions of the visitor experience. Overall, these findings indicate that it's time for enhanced price transparency, improved information provision, and better community-based destination management practices to elevate visitor satisfaction and encourage long-term tourism sustainability in Sumba.

Wildfire research and management typically emphasize risks to ecosystems and infrastructure, especially homes. Yet, communities and countries designate certain places and structures as culturally important for all; because they are often immovable and irreplaceable, they are uniquely at risk from wildfire. We present the first national-scale assessment of wildfire risk to cultural heritage assets in the U.S. Here, wildfire risk is defined as the spatial coincidence of cultural heritage resources and modeled wildfire hazard. Our analysis integrates high-resolution burn probability models from the Fire Simulation project with spatial data for 56,103 National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Places were further assessed by type, reflecting potential cultural loss if destroyed, including buildings, districts, structures, objects, and sites. Places were also categorized by cultural significance (local, state, national) to evaluate how risk varies across levels of importance. Risk was concentrated in the western United States, with hotspots in the Southeast. Buildings and districts comprise 90% of listed resources and may be more vulnerable because their value depends on physical form; other resource types may be less vulnerable. Only 36% of exposed places are nationally significant; most are state or locally significant. By identifying where and what is most at risk, this study provides a foundation for proactive planning to safeguard the places that anchor community identity, collective memory, and national heritage before they are permanently lost.

Protocol for developing digital 3D zoological collections for research and academic training in a biodiversity global crisis scenario

ABSTRACT Located within a globally recognized heritage landscape, the thermal water of Pamukkale and its neighbouring destination, Karahayıt, face an escalating sustainability crisis. This study investigates the current condition of thermal resources in southwestern Türkiye, identifying primary threats to their long-term viability. Drawing on interviews with hotel managers, engineers, and academics, the research explores stakeholder awareness, current management practices, and potential solutions. Results highlight that, alongside climate change, overextraction, unauthorized drilling, and inefficient management accelerate resource depletion. To mitigate risks, the study proposes a comprehensive approach involving stricter monitoring, enhanced water management, and increased public engagement. This research contributes to the literature on thermal resources sustainability and emphasizes the urgent need for coordinated action to preserve the region’s natural heritage.

The debate of identifying the ancient Kapilavatthu is one of the most captivating and contested inquiries from archaeology and Buddhist historiography perspective. This city holds profound religious, historical, and cultural importance because according to Pāli Tipiṭaka, it was the capital of the Śākya kingdom and the early residence of Siddhārtha Gautama from his birth to renunciation. It was within the confines of Kapilavastu that Siddhārtha spent the formative twenty-nine years of his life, nurtured in the royal luxury of the Śākya court, before he renounced worldly life to seek spiritual awakening. Locating this ancient city is not merely an academic endeavor; it has significant implications for Buddhist pilgrimage traditions, national heritage narratives, and cross-border cultural diplomacy. Over the past century, scholarly and archaeological attention has focused on three primary contenders for ancient Kapilavastu (Tilaurakoṭ in Nepal, and Piprahwā and Ganwaria in India) and each of these sites presents compelling material evidence and historical connections. Tilaurakoṭ, situated in the Kapilvastu District of southern Nepal, has been the focus of extensive excavations led by Prof. Basanta Bidari and Robin Cuningham and claimed a fortified city with gates, moats, streets, continued habitation, and punch-marked coins of 6th century BCE. On the basis of urban settlement near Lumbinī, supports its claim for the historical Kapilavastu. In contrast, India’s Siddharth Nagar, Uttar Pradesh claim for ancient Kapilavastu is based on evidences found at Piprahwā and Ganwaria. Peppe in 1898 excavated a stupa near Piprahwā, inside of which he found an inscribed casket which refers to the Śākyas of Kapilavastu and the relics to be of the Buddha. Later excavations led by the Archaeological Survey of India have uncovered monastic structures, stupas, and settlement remains dating from the 3rd century BCE to the early Common Era. Ganwaria, just a few kilometers away, has yielded further archaeological evidences, suggesting its functioning as a residential quarter of the same settlement complex. The above mentioned ancient sites in India and Nepal have historical and cultural legacy and this common legacy could become a model of trans-national heritage collaboration by recognizing the Buddhist cultural and heritage landscape as the cradle of Buddhism. Here in this research paper, I am going to highlight textual and archaeological evidences in the context of Tilaurakoṭ, Piprahwā, and Ganwaria in the present context to examine the narrative of Siddhārtha Gautama’s early life and assesses their potential as components of a unified, transnational heritage zone that embodies the shared spiritual and cultural roots of India-Nepal.

The article examines the relevance and substantiates the architectural model for the application of document-oriented NoSQL databases in the field of storage, processing, and analysis of genealogical documents. The relevance of the study is determined by the intensive processes of digitalization of archival collections in Ukraine and the need for technological solutions capable of efficiently handling large volumes of unstructured and heterogeneous information, such as digital images, optical character recognition (OCR) results, and accompanying metadata, the structure of which varies depending on the content of a particular archival collection. The purpose of the study is to develop and justify the use of NoSQL models as an optimal solution for managing genealogical data in archival science, which will enable centralized genealogical research management based on diverse archival sources. It is noted that the NoSQL model provides a flexible storage schema that allows the integration of all personal data into a single document. This approach addresses the problem of data diversity and multilingualism typical of Ukrainian archival collections. Moreover, the document-oriented approach ensures horizontal scalability for managing the growing volumes of Big Data and allows the use of flexible indexing mechanisms that facilitate advanced contextual search and the identification of hidden semantic relationships between data distributed across various collections. Based on the example of AtlantoCracies, it has been established that the implementation of NoSQL in archival science serves as a foundation for creating robust, high-performance systems that will significantly accelerate digitization processes and improve access to the national cultural heritage for research purposes.

ABSTRACT A slightly ovoid impression from the mid Tonian-aged, Aspidella-bearing Heavitree Quartzite near Ormiston Gorge in central Australia strongly resembles the enigmatic, late Ediacaran-aged, Obamus coronatus fossil from the Nilpena National Heritage Site, west of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. Dated at ca 850 Ma, the Ormiston Gorge impression trumps the occurrence of Obamus by some 290 million years, suggesting Obamus to have been a separate evolutionary event. This supports the contention that metazoan life initially evolved considerably earlier than the widely accepted date of 580 Ma and that evolution likely did not follow a continuum from conception to the present day. Rather, the evolution of metazoan life likely involved a series of local evolution and extinction events, possibly in more than one location and over several hundred million years, before environmental conditions were conducive for metazoans to proliferate and disperse globally.

Enhancing tourist engagement in Emei martial arts tourism: Examining activities, destination image, and orientalism.

The traditional villages play an important role in the national culture and historical heritage, but their protection and use experience significant pressure in view of the fast urbanization process. This paper uses the spatial gene identification technology, combined with the Ripley K-function and spatial syntax to study the spatial distribution and spatial configuration of traditional villages in Jiangsu Province and based upon this develop strategies to preserve and transmit the spatial patterns of traditional villages. The findings show that the provincial traditional villages in Jiangsu are dispersed in a manner that there are more settlements in the south and less in the north. On the provincial scale, the entire distribution is clustered and the concentration level is decentralized with the level of spatial balance being relatively low. This spatial pattern also has a structure of density in the south and sparse in the north and each of the core areas is slowly decreasing in size. Overall characteristics of traditional villages are formed by the combination of the topography and the water system, and the most connected streets in terms of space and the minimum depth values are mostly located at the center of villages, which tend to be major roads or a highly developed area.