World Heritage List Research Articles

UNESCO world heritage branding: learning from some cases in Asia

UNESCO World Heritage listing is often misunderstood as branding to promote mass tourism or as a vehicle for economic development by a city or the state party. The reflection is aimed to shed light on the fundamental principles that underlie the listing and the integration of the World Heritage scheme with the Sustainable Development Policy. The reflection is done through the case study method of a specific real-life phenomenon in Asia to gain insights into complex and intricate situations and highlight the common misunderstanding through several cases. The study found the policy bias towards investment and tourism agenda and not towards the fulfilment of public welfare, often without ethics applying the top-down policy. The study also found evidence of irreversible damages to tangible and intangible aspects of cultural and natural heritage due to gentrification, commodification, decreasing carrying capacity, and loss of authenticity. The study aims to understand better the four pillars of integrating the World Heritage and Sustainable Development policy in achieving environmental sustainability, inclusive social development, inclusive economic development, and fostering peace and security.

The making of dispensable subjects in the Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia: the relocation of the Gich community as an example

The Simien Mountains National Park’s (SMNP) exoneration from the List of World Heritage Endangered is the recent story of the park. It is in September 2017 that the park has restored its place in UNESCO. Significant and sustainable reduction of human population within the park was one of the four basic standards set by the UNESCO World Heritage Commission in order to undo their decision. To fulfill UNESCO’s standard, the local government undertook relocations but inconsistently. By employing anthropological insights, this paper narrates the tale of the relocated Gich and Arkwazeye communities in the SMNP. The research used in-depth interview, discourse analysis and household surveys. Contrary to local government’s discourse on compensations, the Gich community suffered both socially and economically as a result of involuntary relocation. All the problems attached to this community are the result of the government’s non-participatory relocation plan which thus has created a dispensable subject. The Arkwazeye community, on the other hand, is experiencing a relatively stable life as they have maintained all social assets they have created as a community. The paper, therefore, recommends to the local government to individually take care of the lives of the Gich community.

Modeling tree species richness patterns and their environmental drivers across Hyrcanian mountain forests

Perception of the way tree species richness distribution varies along the elevational gradient is necessary for applying conservation strategies in favor of biodiversity hotspots. Hyrcanian Mountain Forests of Iran are among the most biodiverse forests in the world and are inscribed in the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. Here, the Bayesian Additive Regression Tree (BART) and Stack-Species Distribution Model (S-SDMs) were used to understand tree diversity patterns of the Hyrcanian Mountain Forests. For all the tree species, we implemented the BART model with nine environmental variables, including six bioclimatic and three topographic variables, to create a habitat suitability map. We used the area under the curve (AUC), True skill statistic (TSS), type I error, and type II error to evaluate the BART model for each tree species. All models were then stacked to estimate tree species richness. Important variables affecting the distribution of tree species in northern Iran were different for each species but, in general, topographic variables such as slope and altitude played a very important role. BART model mapped all the 29 tree species distribution effectively with AUC 0.83–0.98, TSS 0.51–0.92; and low type I and type II errors. A very important point was the high ability of this model to predict species with low presence data. The achievement of this study was identifying the biodiversity hotspots based on the tree distribution pattern along the elevational gradient. We mapped regional richness at 1 km spatial resolution and it was the first effort to predict macroecological patterns in the Hyrcanian forests of Iran. The hotspots were mainly scattered from sea level and areas with 1000 m elevation, which were close to residential areas. In conclusion, these results help forest manager to plan new conservation strategies based on tree richness hotspots.

A Critical Assessment of the Current State and Governance of the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia

The port, fortresses, and monuments of Cartagena were included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1984. Nevertheless, since 2017 they are threatened to be categorized as “in Danger” by UNESCO. This research analyzes two main critical aspects, governance and the current state of the site. This study applies an innovative interdisciplinary methodology that merges empirical and scientific approaches to evaluate the governance of Cartagena’s heritage (causes) and its impact on the current state of the tangible cultural heritage (effects). Methodologically, secondary information is used to study governance. The study aims to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the UNESCO site governance. Exemplary heritage management systems are studied to propose an adaptable management approach specifically for Cartagena. Over the past five years, qualitative data collected through field observations, along with a photographic report, have revealed significant issues stemming from insufficient heritage management. These problems have rarely been addressed in the existing literature. Furthermore, a quantitative approach was taken by analyzing hyperspectral images obtained from a previous study to identify vegetation and asbestos-cement roofs within the cultural heritage site. It takes a unique perspective by investigating the root causes rather than superficial issues. The study comprehensively analyzes various factors, including material degradation, vehicular traffic, environmental elements, urban structure, and architectural integrity, forming an interconnected framework with governance problems. This research offers a broader perspective that considers complex reality and goes beyond isolated problems and solutions. The study reveals that the ambiguity surrounding decision-making authority for heritage management, distributed between the Mayor’s Office and the Ministry of Culture, is a primary challenge. The lack of coordinated action significantly compromises the conservation and protection of the cultural heritage Site. Moreover, twelve current shortcomings of cultural heritage in Cartagena are identified through the authors’ five-year on-site regular visits, photographic reports, and observation. To address the prevailing concerns, a new line of command for cultural heritage management is proposed as the most effective means of tackling these challenges. Additionally, general recommendations are presented to mitigate the existing problems and prevent the classification of Cartagena’s heritage as “at risk” by UNESCO in the near future. Although, each problem identified would need a research project ad hoc to be fully addressed. This research provides a scientific perspective, drawing upon years of experience studying heritage and residing in the city, devoid of political influences or conflicts of interest.

Impact of Climate Change on the “Trabocchi Coast” (Italy): The Trabocco Turchino Case Study

The increasing and extreme weather phenomena observed in the Mediterranean basin are only one aspect of the problem which has broader effects on population, structures and infrastructure.Each of these aspects is itself characterized by a wide variety of issues, which are increasingly leading studies toward a multidimensional assessment of impacts (economic, social and environmental). In this study, we focus on the impact related to the increase in extreme weather events in a specific area characterized by typical vernacular architecture: the “trabocchi” of the Italian Adriatic coast, whose identification as cultural heritage is the result of historical events and social dynamics closely linked to the collective imagination and for which inclusion as intangible cultural heritage in the UNESCO World heritage List has been requested. The weather event investigation was performed considering both long-term large-scale (using the ERA5 dataset) analysis and short-term small-scale (models and ground-based sensors) analysis. The results provide an overview of the event dynamics and enhanced understanding of the area’s vulnerability factors to extreme weather phenomena, as well as emphasized the need, in order to protect the integrity of the asset, to study environment changes and to plan concrete actions aimed at conservation, including social actions, to mitigate the problem.

ROMANIA AS A DESTINATION FOR CULTURAL AND HERITAGE TOURISM

Romania possesses a consistent heritage including cultural, historical and folkloric resources with a high potential for tourism valorization. Despite of this valuable heritage, the development of cultural tourism is still limited and more actions are needed to be undertaken for a better promotion and attraction of tourist flows in the most important cultural areas. Due to this potential and to recent massive operations of restoration and renovation of historical buildings, but also due to the improvement of services and education, Romania has succeeded to improve its supply for heritage tourism. In this paper we analyze the main issues related to the competitiveness of Romania as a cultural destination, we assess its place among other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, but also which were the recent developments on this topic. A detailed investigation has been performed regarding the main attractions and destinations for heritage tourism in Romania, including the cultural and intangible cultural heritage sites from Romania included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Our conclusions go to the actions necessary for improving Romania’ s place on the market of cultural and heritage tourism, such as: improvements in the infrastructure for increasing the accessibility of the most important destinations, a more focused vision and enhanced strategy for the development and management of tourist attractions, more efficient actions for internal and international promotion, the adoption of appropriate management and marketing tools to make these objectives known, especially to international tourists etc.

Endangered medicinal plants of western ghats: A review

India houses about more than a thousand known medicinal plant species. Traditional Indian medicine, also known as Ayurveda, relies heavily on the use of medicinal plants for treating various ailments. They play a major role in our daily lives. The Western Ghats region in India is known for its rich biodiversity resources including a wide variety of medicinal plants. Western Ghats is among the world’s hottest 10 biodiversity hotspots and recently has been added to the world heritage list by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). But as these days most of the important medicinal plants present in Western Ghats are facing serious extinction issues and categorized as endangered plants by IUCN due to overexploitation, deforestation and similar anthropogenic activities. At the same time these IUCN reports on threat status highlights the importance of conserving these assets of nature for the betterment of future generations. This article comprehensively reviews the details about some important medicinal plants and their medicinal uses present in Western Ghats which are classified under endangered category.

Still on UNESCO’s “Tentative List of World Heritage”? Heritage, Tourism, and Stunted Growth in Sarnath (Varanasi), India

It is not unusual for a place to wait for years before being inscribed on the World Heritage List, but Sarnath—the place where the Buddha delivered his first sermon—has been on UNESCO’s “tentative list” for close to 25 years. As a sacred place for Buddhist pilgrimages, Sarnath continues to attract thousands of visitors annually and yet, remains under-developed, unlike other pilgrim towns or religious tourism destinations. This paper examines the reasons for the stunted growth of Sarnath. The findings are based on fieldwork conducted in Sarnath in 2019. The analysis of stakeholder interviews suggests several reasons for Sarnath not being able to capitalize on its religious and cultural heritage for tourism-led development. It was found that the protection of the site as an archaeological park by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which has been controlling development surrounding the park as well as prohibiting the performance of any rituals, have been the key endogenous factors that have contributed to the relative under-development of a Buddhist pilgrimage economy in the town. A handful of monasteries are where Buddhist followers stay and perform their pilgrimage rituals, rendering them as enclaves. Private-sector accommodation is also limited to around 15 hotels and guesthouses. Administratively, Sarnath does not have an independent governance structure. It is governed as just one ward (an electoral constituency) by the Municipal Corporation of Varanasi and is, thus, always under the shadow of Varanasi city. Varanasi is one of the most significant Hindu sacred cities and, hence, visitors stay there for much longer durations to soak in cultural offerings, including religious ceremonies around the Ganga River; a visit to Sarnath is secondary and often limited to a half-day tour. Moreover, the archaeological park at Sarnath serves a recreational purpose as a picnic site for domestic visitors. The exogenous factors mean that the interests of Sarnath (as a Buddhist site) are hardly acknowledged by the Hindu city of Varanasi. This paper argues that the multi-layered contestations that exist at the site level, the town–ward level, and between visitors and managers have further contributed to the poor state of heritage and tourism in Sarnath.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Chaîne des Puys–Limagne Fault Tectonic Arena (Auvergne, France)

The tectono-volcanic ensemble of the Chaîne des Puys and the Limagne fault, which is part of the West European rift, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2018 as the Chaîne des Puys–Limagne fault tectonic arena. This site includes (1) the western normal border fault of the graben (the Limagne fault), (2) the shoulder of the graben (the granitic Plateau des Dômes) on which lies a Quaternary volcanic alignment (the Chaîne des Puys), and (3) an inverted relief resulting from erosive action around a Pliocene volcanic lava flow (the Montagne de la Serre). It is shown that, when viewed in a global tectonic context, these structural and volcanic features can be described as a natural scale model, allowing everyone to understand the processes in operation at depth in a continental rift. The property is an inhabited environment that counts 30,000 inhabitants and traditional activities such as pastoral farming and agroforestry. Following its inscription on the World Heritage List, the challenge for the coming years is to coordinate conservation, sustainable development and international stature in the site.

Archaeological Tourism, World Heritage and Social Value: A Comparative Study in China

ABSTRACT This article investigates the relationship between archaeological tourism, UNESCO World Heritage designation, and the social value attached to archaeological sites in China. It aims to provide novel insights into such connections by examining the impact of archaeological tourism on the social values that local communities place on archaeological sites that are in the process of becoming World Heritage Sites. In recent decades, the increasing commercialization of archaeological sites for tourism, combined with the growing influence of the World Heritage listing process, has had a significant impact on the lives of communities in close proximity to archaeological sites. One way to comprehend such an effect is to examine changes in the social values assigned to those sites by their local residents. This is due to the ability of tourism development to (re)create and modify such values attributed to archaeological sites by changing their function, capacity, quality, and meaning. The World Heritage listing process, particularly during the pre-nomination period, plays an important role in shaping the tourist transformation of these sites in preparation for World Heritage inscription. Against this backdrop, this article focuses on two archaeological sites that have recently obtained the World Heritage status: the Daming Palace archaeological site and the Huashan rock art area. By applying ethnographic approaches, the article illustrates the complex influence of tourism development and the World Heritage Convention on contemporary Chinese society, in order to encourage further reflection on the existing management and development mechanisms of archaeological sites in China and around the world.

BRONISŁAW BULIŃSKI (1934–2021) – 60 LAT W SŁUŻBIE RATOWANIA ZABYTKÓW ARCHITEKTURY DREWNIANEJ

Monuments of wooden architecture in Poland are appreciated by art historians, and the most valuable of them have been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. These include sites that Bronisław Buliński of Jaroslaw, who operated a specialist conservation company for many years, was involved in rescuing and preserving. His talent, knowledge and commitment enabled the restoration of many wooden churches and orthodox churches in south-eastern Poland.

Conservation of World Heritage glacial landscapes in a changing climate: The Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch case

Many glacial landscapes on all continents are inscribed on the World Heritage List. Due to climate change, most of the glaciers are retreating rapidly, thus questioning their Outstanding Universal Value. This paper clarifies what constitutes the heritage values of glacial landscapes and outlines how the heritage values could evolve in a future with less (or without) ice. For two sites in the UNESCO Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch property (the Great Aletsch Glacier and the Upper Lauterbrunnen Valley), we describe the evolution of the glacial landscape using a Past-Present-Future framework. We then evaluate the present and post-glacial heritage values according to criteria used in the literature on geomorphosites. The results outline two main issues: (1) As glaciers retreat, the geoscientific value will depend more and more on the inherited glacial landforms, such as moraine ridges, which allow the understanding of the Earth and climate history, and less and less on the glacier itself and its dynamics. Their protection is therefore an important issue. (2) The aesthetic value of glacial landscapes could decrease because of the disappearance of the glacier (landscape greying). One possible adaptation could be a shift from glacier tourism, which is mainly oriented towards the contemplation of an aesthetic landscape, to geotourism, where the understanding of landscape evolution is proposed to the public.

Computational methods applied to earthen historical structures

Earthen structures have an important representation among the UNESCO World Heritage List sites as well as among the built environment in general. Unfortunately, earthen heritage structures are also numerous within the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger whereas other existing common earthen structures are extremely vulnerable to seismic and climate change events. Within the field of heritage conservation, structural analysis contributes to the safety evaluation of the structure, the diagnosis of the causes of damage and decay, and to the validation of interventions. Thus, the need to develop effective and accurate computational methods suitable for the study of both monumental and vernacular earthen structures becomes evident. This paper compiles, summarizes, and highlights the latest developments and implementations of computational methods for the study of such structure typologies. The literature has been explored following the PRISMA-S checklist methodology and a narrative synthesis was used for the presentation of results. Finally, future trends, opportunities, and challenges are discussed.

Degradations analysis and prediction methods of the mechanical behavior of masonry structures in the archaeological site Volubilis (Morocco)

The archaeological site of Volubilis is located in Morocco, 60 km from the city of Fez. It is one of the most preserved sites of a large Roman city registered in the UNESCO world heritage list. This site is composed of several historical monuments, most of which are built in masonry. These structures are composed of blocks of stones bound or not with mortar. These components have different physical and mechanical characteristics, which makes understanding the mechanical behavior, mainly the mode of failure and damage and the bearing capacity of these structures, a complex task due to their anisotropic, heterogeneous, and composite nature. The constructions built on the site Volubilis have experienced deterioration and intense degradation over time, affecting their structures due to several factors. This makes the protection and conservation of these structures paramount. The present study aims firstly to classify the types of degradations observed at the level of the existing masonry structures in the Volubilis site by giving explanations, interpretations as well as the causes of these degradations; secondly, to explain the various analytical, empirical and numerical approaches usually adopted to predict the mechanical behavior of these masonry structures affected by degradations and more precisely their modes of failure, their zones of weakness as well as their bearing capacities. The analytical and empirical approaches presented in the literature only allow us to estimate the compressive strength of these masonry structures, which have a specific geometry. In contrast, the numerical approaches will enable us to highlight the causes of degradation and predict the modes of failure and damage of these masonry structures. Three modeling techniques are used in the numerical approach: detailed micromodeling (DMM), simplified micromodeling (SMM), and Macromodeling (MM), based on the finite element method (FEM). These techniques differ from each other in their degree of accuracy.

Does presence on the UNESCO World Heritage List Support Sustainable Development? A Market-Driven Exploratory Approach

Does presence on the UNESCO World Heritage List Support Sustainable Development? A Market-Driven Exploratory Approach

ჭარბტენიანი რაიონების და ჭაობების გეოგრაფია საქართველოში

Swamps spread over a significant area in Georgia. They occupy the largest area in Western Georgia in the western part of the Kolkheti Lowland and comprise 2200 km2, of which 29,000 ha are included within the Kolkheti National Park and Kobuleti protected areas. They were included in the list of the Ramsar Convention adopted in 1971, and in 2021 the Kolkheti Wetlands were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List along with the Kolkheti Rainforests. Wetlands’ role in preserving natural ecosystems and coastal protection is great. The active study of wetlands in Kolkheti dates back to the 20s of the last century when the research was carried out according to their distribution, types, origin, feeding regimes, and other parameters. The main goal of the studies was to utilize the swampy areas for agricultural purposes and, accordingly, to prevent the natural events characteristic of the rivers passing through these areas, mainly for Rion. Since the 90s of the 20th century, active research in Kolkheti swamps has decreased to almost zero, due to the severe socio-political situation in the country, and until now there are almost no scientific activities in terms of studying their modern condition and geographical components. Modern methods involve their research for protection and preservation, as well as the introduction of the principles of harmonious coexistence of man and nature. In addition, it is a necessary condition to develop wetland management plans taking into account social factors. Therefore, it is necessary to actively renew research in the Kolkheti region and accumulate new knowledge about wetlands, thus facilitating the implementation of sustainable development plans for the region.

Biodiversity as an Outstanding Universal Value for Integrated Management of Natural and Cultural Heritage

UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre has set ten criteria for assessing Outstanding Universal Values (OUVs) for the inscription of properties on the World Heritage List. Recognising the growing challenge for heritage conservation and the need for professionals to work within systemic, holistic, and integrated frameworks in managing cultural heritage and using biodiversity as an OUV, this paper investigates how the intangible and tangible cultural and natural heritage of the Region of East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece is interconnected over the course of centuries. We review the evolution of the existing legislative framework to protect archaeological treasures and local flora and fauna and document the richness of ongoing ecological and biological processes in the region for strengthening the arguments for an integrated protection and management system. Locating the archaeological sites and monuments in protected natural zones and areas of exceptional beauty with the use of the open code QGIS programme and focusing on their description and analysis, the present research recommends their interlinked management under the leadership of a Joint Destination Management Organisation.

Sustainable Behaviors Conceptualization for Forest Adventures Tours: The Case of Cloud Ocean Sites in Hyrcanian Forests Listed as UNESCO’s World Heritage Property

The Cloud Ocean phenomenon in the Hyrcanian Forests, listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List, is one of the most stunning yet lesser-known ecotourism destinations that has recently attracted the attention of adventure tours. However, the increasing number of ecotourists visiting these sites is expected to threaten the sensitive ecosystem of the Cloud Ocean sites. Therefore, this study aims to conceptualize sustainable behaviors for off-road forest tours in the Cloud Ocean sites of the Hyrcanian Forests. A combined qualitative-quantitative approach was adopted to achieve this aim, using the meta-synthesis method to cover the qualitative part and Smart PLS software for the quantitative data analysis. The qualitative assessment involved 19 participants, while the quantitative study included 240 experts who helped monitor and evaluate the indicators as components of the model. Previous literature has given little attention to the Cloud Ocean sites. Therefore, the conceptualization of sustainable behavior for forest adventure tours in these sites is considered the most significant contribution of this study. Paying attention to the dimensions of the proposed model can significantly reduce damage to these sites.

Current and projected patterns of warming and marine heatwaves in the Southern Indian Ocean

The Southern Indian Ocean (20–120°E, 70–30°S) hosts an exceptional biodiversity that contributed to the inscription of the French and Australian natural reserves on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This region is a “hot spot” for ocean heat uptake and already experiences intense marine heat waves (MHW), as evidenced in 2011/2012 over the Kerguelen Plateau. In the coming decades, this region is also expected to face supplemental anthropogenic warming, depending on future greenhouse gas emissions, with unknown consequences for its marine ecosystems. Here, we present a regional analysis of ocean warming and MHW based on the analyses of historical observations and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) climate projections. Consistent with observations over the last decades, we find an intensification through the 21st century of surface warming and MHW over a band located between 40°S and 55°S within the Antarctic Circumpolar Current region. CMIP6 models also project much faster climate velocities (i.e. the speed and direction at which isotherms drift in the wake of climate change) in the mesopelagic (200–1000 m) than at the surface (0–200 m). Lastly, a comparison between the two Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1-2.6 and SSP2-4.5) analysed in this study shows much larger changes in the second half of the 21st century for the higher emission scenario. These results suggest that the subantarctic islands will probably be mostly affected by warming and MHW under both scenarios, although committing to SSP1-2.6 could substantially alleviate the pressure on ecosystems in the long term. This study also highlights the need to consider a tri-dimensional environment that may evolve at different paces when designing efficient conservation measures.

Exploring the heritage dimension of vineyard landscapes based on a critical approach to their inscription on the World Heritage List

ABSTRACT Vineyard landscapes are an excellent example of cultural landscapes that represent the interactions between nature and culture, providing many of them with a unique heritage value. This study takes a critical approach to the nomination processes of World Heritage vineyard landscapes, focusing on the practical application of the eligibility criteria and the key concepts of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), authenticity and integrity. A detailed comparative study of the nine specific vineyard cultural landscapes included in the World Heritage List has been conducted based on three primary sources: the Nomination Files, the Advisory Bodies Evaluations and the minutes of the World Heritage Committee meetings with the decisions to inscribe or not to inscribe the sites. A systematic analysis of the many recommendations issued by ICOMOS to the States Parties and their comparison with the Committee’s decisions has provided insight into the evolution of perspectives. In turn, these have given rise to a discussion regarding several aspects: inscription categories, names and surface areas of the properties, duration of the process, OUV and attributes that embody said value, authenticity and integrity, boundaries and management plans. Thus, this paper will shine a light on the difficult subject of identifying outstanding heritage specificities and linking OUV to the territorial conservation and management of living rural landscapes.