World Heritage Site Research Articles

Heritage as a development engine for people in nature: A case study of Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area, China

This paper explores strategies to promote sustainable tourism for people living in natural areas through a case study implemented in the renowned World Natural Heritage Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area, a World Heritage Site inscribed for its natural values. The study is part of the UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Program’s Chinese Pilot Studies. Various interventions, including understanding local values, revitalizing traditional handicrafts, and making culinary innovations, were implemented to enrich tourist experiences, empower local communities, and boost economic opportunities. Based on these interventions, this paper discusses community capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and conflict resolution as initiatives to enhance heritage conservation and promote sustainable tourism at the community level. On the level of the World Heritage property, a new management zone, the Traditional Eco-agricultural Heritage Zone, recognized the residency of the locals within the heritage site and fostered the harmonious co-existence of culture and nature. The successful integration of heritage conservation, community development, and sustainable tourism in Wulingyuan not only ensures the conservation of the site but also contributes to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This case study offers a model for sustainable development of Natural World Heritage Sites, emphasizing the importance of respecting and involving diverse local communities.

Investigating the Satisfaction of Residents in the Historic Center of Macau and the Characteristics of the Townscape: A Decision Tree Approach to Machine Learning

The historic city of Macau is China’s 31st world heritage site, and its residents have actively contributed to preserving its heritage and will continue to reside there for the foreseeable future. Residents’ satisfaction with the current urban environment is closely related to the landscape characteristics of the towns surrounding the historic center of Macau. This study aims to analyze the relationship between landscape characteristics and residents’ satisfaction, determine the key factors affecting their satisfaction and how they are combined, and provide a scientific basis for urban planning. This study used a decision tree machine learning model to analyze 524 questionnaire survey responses that addressed five aspects of the historic town’s landscape: the architectural, Largo Square, street, mountain and sea, and commercial landscapes. The data-driven approach helped find the best decision path. The results indicate that (1) the layout of Largo Square, the commercial colors and materials, the location of the former humanities and religion center, and the commercial signage system are the primary factors influencing residents’ satisfaction. (2) Incorporating decision tree parameters with information entropy as the splitting criterion and a minimum sample split number of two (with no maximum depth) led to the best performance when investigating residents’ satisfaction with Macau’s historic town landscape characteristics. (3) A reasonable layout for Largo Square (satisfaction > 3.50), prominent and harmonious commercial colors and materials (satisfaction > 3.50), rich cultural and religious elements (satisfaction > 4.50), and an excellent commercial signage system (satisfaction > 4.00) can significantly improve residents’ satisfaction. This provides important empirical support and a reference for urban planning and landscape design in Macau and other historical and cultural cities.

VULNERABILITY OF HERITAGE SITES TO CLIMATIC EXTREME EVENTS: KHALIFATABAAD ANCIENT MOSQUE

Built heritage is the pride of human civilisation and the built environment. But nowadays, they are gradually threatened by various natural decay, deterioration, and effects of extreme climate events. Khalifatabaad (present Bagerhat) in the southwestern part of Bangladesh has a rich heritage value and was also enlisted as one of the world heritage sites by UNESCO in 1985. The Department of Archaeology Bangladesh and UNESCO are working together to conserve Khalifatabaad's heritage sites. But due to climate change and the increased number of tropical climate extreme events like sea-level rise, tropical cyclones, super cyclones, storms, tidal surges, waterlogging, salinity, dampness, etc., significant problems are arising to preserve and conserve the heritage structures of tropical regions. This paper aims to investigate and analyse the vulnerabilities of these heritage structures due to extreme climate events by following building pathology principles. The DPSIR (Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response) method is used as the research framework. The research data are collected and documented through a literature review, site survey, detailed observation, documentation, oral statement records, and qualitative analysis. The research outcome is focused on investigating the most responsible climate extreme events, their short-term and long-term impacts on heritage buildings, and presenting conservation strategies for the historical sites in Khalifatabaad.

Between Transcendental and National: Wooden Churches of Slovakia

ABSTRACT The Eastern Carpathian Mountain region is home to Slavic peoples, who celebrate the bringing of Christianity by Saints Cyril and Methodius in the ninth century. The mountainous region retains small village churches, some dating from the eighteenth century, each established within agrarian communities by Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox denominations. Despite village subjugation under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Nazi occupation, Russian “liberation” and Socialist-era suppression of non-Orthodox denominations, these exquisite vernacular structures have remained and illustrate the continuing transcendental experience for worshipers but also now shared with those who celebrate them as symbols of national resistance, as well as tourists who come to experience them as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Sharing a common church object, traditional typological and formal aesthetic approaches that have been established by researchers for these structures are contrasted against a phenomenologically rooted set of embodied modes for meaning across examples from extant structures within Slovakia. Embodied approaches provide, via modes of lived experience, a deep offering into what each church shares with their ecological landscape, village, and history; a holistic visceral tapestry key to their appreciation complimenting the typological and differently affirming their continuing value.

The use of heritage in the place-making of a culture and leisure community: Liangzhu Culture Village in Hangzhou, China

ABSTRACT This paper aims to explore the use of heritage – or, rather, heritages – in place-making in the Chinese context, through the lens of a case study of Liangzhu Culture Village (LCV), a newly built residential community near a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Based on archival research and ethnographic fieldwork conducted from 2019 to 2022, this study finds that not only Liangzhu heritage but also Buddhist and Confucian intangible heritages are used in place-making. The findings show that Liangzhu heritage functions through a top-down mechanism by which stakeholders such as the government and heritage experts formulate policies and strategies concerning urban development and heritage conservation and the real estate developer uses heritage to promote its projects. Some tangible and intangible heritage attributes are used to enrich the community’s cultural flavour and foster residents’ attachment to the community. Tangible elements of Liangzhu’s heritage are expressed in the built environment, such as the layout and naming of key roads, public spaces and cultural facilities. The local residents’ meaning-making of Liangzhu heritage is related to their national identity and national pride. Also, Liangzhu heritage provides the residents with tourism and leisure opportunities. The residents tend to use traditional Chinese heritages in their daily lives as a way of fostering attachment to the community and enhancing their relationships. The study contributes to a better understanding of heritage’s complex role in urban development.

Resident well-being and perceptions of World Heritage Site management: divide between urban and rural WHSs

ABSTRACT This comparative case study focuses on residents’ subjective well-being (SWB) and their perceptions of conservation and tourism in two prominent World Heritage Sites (WHSs) in Turkey, i.e. (rural) Cappadocia and (urban) Istanbul’s Historical Peninsula, to evaluate them in tandem with their governance frameworks. A modified SWB survey instrument is administered to residents in both WHSs. The most notable differences in SWB surface in community, environment, and standard of living domains favouring Cappadocia – underlining tourism’s varied influence on SWB domains in rural and urban settings. While the perceived association between conservation and tourism is stronger in Cappadocia, Istanbul’s residents view conservation more positively. These differences point towards conservation’s perceived instrumental role in facilitating tourism development in rural WHSs and the disconnection of urban WHS residents from conservation efforts and tourism management. Our findings suggest SWB may complement tourism impact analysis and build a bridge between residents, policymakers, and administrators. Addressing the disconnection between residents and tourism and conservation-related frameworks and initiatives to increase resident awareness of heritage value are suggested as potential contributors to the long-term viability of WHSs as heritage tourism destinations.

UNESCO, mining heritage and the scalar sustainability of tourism geographies at industrial World Heritage Sites

PurposeIndustrial heritage works within a world of contradictions, contentions and scalar liminality. Archaeologists and historians focus upon oral histories and discourses of tangible and intangible memory and heritage while planners and economists see industrial World Heritage, in particular, as a marketing ploy to redevelop deindustrialized spaces. Within this liminality, we explore the potential for geographical perspectives to solder such contradictions into transdisciplinary heritage assessments and tourism contexts. How might the spatial tools of landscape and scalar analyses expose alternative and sustainable futures within broader patterns of industrial heritage management and consumption?Design/methodology/approachUsing three comparative cases, interview and landscape methods and conducting discourse analysis within a spatial and scalar framework, we explore the increasing presence of industrial World Heritage.FindingsWe present both an institutional reflection upon the complexities of heritage discourse across complex spatial configurations and the intersectional historical, cultural, political, environmental and economic geographies that guide and emerge out of World Heritage Designations. Framed scalarly and spatially, we highlight common interpretation, tourism and heritage management styles and concerns found across industrial World Heritage. We point out trans-scalar considerations for future municipalities and regions looking to utilize their industrial landscapes and narratives.Originality/valueWe believe that more theoretical groundings in space and scale may lead to both the flexibility and the applicability needed to assess and, in turn, manage trans-scalar and trans-spatial complex heritage sites. These perspectives may be uniquely poised to assess the complex geographies of industrial, particularly mining, World Heritage Sites.

Spatiotemporal changes and driving factors of alpine land cover in Tianshan world natural heritage sites

Alpine natural heritage sites hold significant value due to their unique global resources. Studying land cover changes in these areas is crucial for maintaining and preserving multiple their values. This study takes Kalajun-Kuerdening, one of the components of Xinjiang Tianshan World Natural Heritage Site, as an example to analyze land cover changes and their driving factors in alpine heritage sites. Highlights include: (1) Between 1994 and 2023, Forest and Grassland increased by 55.96 km2 and 18.16 km2, with notable forest growth from 2007 to 2017. Trends in Forest changes align with forest protection policies, and a substantial amount of Bareland converted to Grassland indicates an increase in vegetation cover. (2) Elevation, precipitation, temperature, and evapotranspiration are key drivers of land cover changes, as validated by Random Forest algorithm and Geodetector model. (3) Favorable conditions for Grassland to Forest transition include annual precipitation between 275 and 375 mm, annual temperature between −2 and 3 °C, annual evapotranspiration between 580 and 750 mm, elevation between 1800 and 2600 m, and aspect between 0 to 110° and 220 to 259.9°. Continuous monitoring of land cover changes and their driving factors in mountain heritage sites contributes to the protection of the ecological environment and provides data and information support for addressing climate change, resource management, and policy making.

Characterizing the seismic response and basin structure of Cusco (Peru): implications for the seismic hazard assessment of a World Heritage Site

Characterizing the seismic response and basin structure of Cusco (Peru): implications for the seismic hazard assessment of a World Heritage Site

Smart village - new strategy for the development of Piniq’s reality

Finiq is an Albanian municipality located near the ancient city of Phoeniciae in southern Albania. It is located a few kilometres from the Greek border and a few kilometers from the Ionian Sea. Finiq is located almost at the foot of the slope of the hill on which this ancient city had developed, almost to represent its contemporary continuity. Many problems have plagued this village, including depopulation, isolation from the main roads of the region, and a loss of identity. Analyzing the city of Finiq, however, many resources can be used for greater enhancement of the municipality. What characterizes them is the strategic position close to the elongated and characteristic hill, from whose summit you can admire all the pan- orama, from the plain to the hills to Lake Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ancient city of Phoinike has developed on top of the relief and is a settlement that finds its most accomplished monumental expression around the middle of the third century B.C. also becoming the capital of the region, of which today some traces remain, such as the cyclopean walls, the ancient entrance, the theatre. Among the most important archaeological emergencies of the area, in fact, there is the mon- astery of San Nicola, which stands on a hill, surrounded by the wide bend of the river Bistricta. The ancient complex included a large wall with seven watchtowers, of which today only a few traces remain. Within the walls survives only the Byzantine monument, still used by the community for the celebration of their religious rites. Other small villages were merged into the municipality of Finiq, such as Aliko, Dhiver, Livad- hja, and Mesopotam. Finiq and the other towns could be conceived from the perspective of a smart village, enhancing the strengths of rural reality, and starting a transformation from tourism: the naturalistic and historical cultural potential can allow the villages of the area to become an important attraction of the area, obtaining visibility and funding for its development. By smart village, we mean a rural area that, starting from its potential, tries to find solutions for its territory. At the basis of this challenge are the communities themselves that implement a series of strategies and shared projects to achieve a common goal: the development and growth of their rural area. In conclusion, this study aims to analyze other "smart" villages in Europe, which started from the enhancement of their heritage for the development of their area: each area is different from the others and each project is different from the others, but the common results are comparable. From these "case studies", it will be possible to under- stand how Finiq can become "smart", and which approach is needed to strengthen the area.

Gauging the threat of invasive species to UNESCO world heritage sites relative to other anthropogenic threats

Gauging the threat of invasive species to UNESCO world heritage sites relative to other anthropogenic threats

Unveiling the deterioration formation process of the rammed earth city wall site of the Ancient City of Pingyao, a World Heritage Site: occurrence, characterizations, and historic environmental implications

Unveiling the deterioration formation process of the rammed earth city wall site of the Ancient City of Pingyao, a World Heritage Site: occurrence, characterizations, and historic environmental implications

230 Optimising Outdoor Recreational Activities in Bali, Indonesia: The Significance of the Cultural Landscape Subak as a Health-Enhancing Environment

Abstract Purpose Subak – the terraced rice landscapes of Bali – appears to be more protected and better preserved than the rest of the greenspaces in Indonesia. As one of the first studies of outdoor recreational activities in the cultural landscape subak, this study aims to describe the significance of this environment – which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site – for the activities to promote and improve health and well-being. Methods The study compiled a quantitative questionnaire answered by fifty-eight respondents, five semi-structured in-depth interviews, and a series of participant observations. Results Based on mixed methods analyses, the results revealed: (1) outdoor recreational activities in the subak areas have yielded benefits, namely improved cognitive and social skills, as well as an enhanced state of health and well-being, (2) the role of the subak areas in facilitating outdoor recreational activities has shown cognitive, emotional, and behavioural changes in the study participants, and (3) outdoor recreational activities in the subak areas have fostered a more environmentally conscious mindset that helps improve human health and well-being. Conclusions This study elucidated possible implications that underlined the activities in the subak as a way to adopt pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) and thereby helped improve human health and well-being, protect the subak environment, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the context of this study, particularly SDG 3 Good Health and Well-Being, SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production. Overall, the mixed methods analysis applied in the study provided new transcendent perspectives that in future research can form the starting point to emphasise the significance of the greenspaces, namely the cultural landscape subak, as a health-enhancing environment for outdoor recreational activities to promote and improve health and well-being. Funding The fieldwork was funded by the Swedish government Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) through a scholarship of 27,000 SEK.

Economic risks of environmental setbacks in Brazil’s Iguaçu National Park

SummaryIguaçu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, faces threats from proposed legislation aimed at downgrading its protection to allow reopening of the Caminho-do-Colono road, which would fragment the National Park. This study assesses the National Park’s importance in preserving native vegetation and its economic significance via payments for environmental services. We evaluated different scenarios, demonstrating how these resources are vital for certain municipalities. By comparing economic performance before and after the road’s closure, our findings reveal that, contrary to local beliefs, the closure did not negatively impact the local economy. Additionally, these legislative bills are legally infeasible and fail to offer environmental or economic benefits, favouring small interest groups over the collective good. This research highlights that the Caminho-do-Colono road is not a viable approach to municipal development. Instead, maintaining the National Park’s integrity is crucial for both ecological preservation and economic stability in the region. Our analysis underscores the broader implications of environmental conservation efforts and the necessity of rejecting projects that compromise protected areas. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the National Park’s role, emphasizing the need for sustainable development that aligns with environmental and community well-being.

Preventive conservation – a means of sustainability of cultural heritage: The case of the M’Zab Valley

Abstract The management of heritage sites is fundamental to their conservation and sustainability, and more broadly, it contributes to the preservation of the environment. This article highlights the conservation plan developed for one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Algerian context: the M’Zab Valley in Ghardaïa. It has managed to preserve its specific character over the centuries thanks to the management operations that have been necessary for its continuity. The main question of this study is what are the management actions adopted in the M’Zab Valley with regard to the Ksourian architectural heritage to ensure its sustainability? Given the exploratory nature of this research, we chose a qualitative and inductive method. The study is based on a combination of several investigative tools: interviews, observations and photographs. The aim of the article is to highlight the efforts made by the Algerian public authorities and the local community to implement cultural heritage management measures in a particular context. The results of the analysis reveal, first, that the implementation of the permanent plan for the safeguarding and enhancement of the protected sector of the M’Zab Valley has proven itself in the preservation of monuments, sites and historic buildings, but also all the contexts associated with the daily life of people. Second, the rehabilitation operations of the historic ksour shall ensure the authenticity of the buildings and their integrity with the environment will be kept while adapting them to the current needs of users. Third, the combination of efforts between public institutions, the Office for the Protection and Promotion of the Valley of M’Zab, the local community and associations avoided the weakening of traditions and ancestral values through awareness missions, heritage education programmes, the application of heritage laws and regulations, and scientific and historical documentation of local heritage. Finally, the involvement of the local community in all operations on their local heritage ensures the transfer of local knowledge.

Urban Language Practices in a UNESCO World Heritage Site: A Case Study of George Town, Penang

The case of multilingual and multicultural George Town World Heritage Site (GTWHS) illustrates that language practices among its urban community are varied across different settings and interlocutors. The study aims to identify current language practices in GTWHS, particularly those influenced by urban space and repertoires. Using a mixed-method research design, the study included a sample size of 156 respondents and covered areas in both the Core and Buffer Zones of George Town, Penang. Data analysis then comprises discussions on language repertoires of the interlocutors within the domains of the respective social interactions. Findings of the study show that the use of English, Malay, Mandarin and code-switching are several of the patterns of language use that can be observed in the city. The ability to style shift among the respondents is also indicative of language patterns that interact with both the physical and social settings that they belong to. As a result, these language practices can be fluid in order to facilitate the needs of the communicative activities as the interlocutors relocate themselves in different spaces or domains within the George Town city. More importantly, the study highlights heterogenous populace, linguistic repertoire and cultural practices as determinants that further characterise the overall cityscape of urban social environment and its speech community.

Place and Memory in Commemorating Remembrance of George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site

This paper seeks to delve into the dynamic interplay between place and memory at the George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a focus on how its physical monuments serve as vessels for collective memory and narrators of the city's history. This study engages with theoretical perspectives of memory and place to analyze commemorative processes and evaluates their role in maintaining cultural continuity and identity. The study conducted semi-structured interviews and distribute surveys among a carefully selected cross-section of George Town's populace, thus ensuring a representative narrative mosaic. The inquiry will include an assessment of the site and exploring its significance in the community's social fabric. The study recognizes the complexity of interpreting memories within ever-changing urban landscapes and addresses potential biases. Childhood memories, especially when structures remain, shape a person's image of a place. Their tales demonstrate their love for it. The length of a person's relationship with a place most affects their opinion. Long-term residents like it more. Place and memory are vital to commemorating George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This relationship must frequently be adapted to urban life. The city acknowledges memory interpretation, resolves prejudices about memorial traditions, and embraces inclusive narratives to preserve cultural memory for future generations. The outcomes will offer new insights into conservation strategies and enrich our understanding of historical urban environments.

Eocene maar sediments record warming of up to 3.5 °C during a hyperthermal event 47.2 million years ago

Eocene hyperthermal events reflect profound perturbations of the global carbon cycle. Most of our knowledge about their onset, timing, and rates originates from marine records. Hence, the pacing and magnitude of hyperthermal continental warming remains largely unaccounted for due to a lack of high-resolution climate records. Here we use terrestrial biomarkers and carbon isotopes retrieved from varved lake deposits of the UNESCO World Heritage site ‘Messel Fossil Pit’ (Germany) to quantify sub-millennial to millennial-scale temperature and carbon isotope changes across hyperthermal event C21n-H1 (47.2 million years ago). Our results show maximum warming of ca. 3.5 °C during C21n-H1. We propose that two components are responsible for the warming pattern across the hyperthermal: (1) the massive release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere-ocean system and (2) half-precession orbital forcing indicated by ~12.000-year temperature cycles. The carbon isotope record of bulk organic matter indicates a sharp, 7‰ decrease at the peak of the hyperthermal, corresponding to increased organic carbon content and a shift in the lake algal community. Collectively, our proxy data reveal the structure of continental temperature response during the hyperthermal event that is characterized by overall warming with a superimposed pattern of sub-orbital scale temperature fluctuations.

The Temporal Variation and Spatial Scale Dependence of the Trade-Offs and Synergies among Multiple Ecosystem Services in the World Heritage Site of South China Karst

The World Natural Heritage Sites (WNHSs), which have unique ecosystems, ecological landscapes, and biodiversity, are the common heritage of all of humanity. The evolutionary pathway of ecosystem services (ESs) in the Karst WNHS between the years 2000 and 2020 has been examined, and the trade-offs and synergies among the ESs have been quantified. This research serves as a point of reference for the rational utilization of natural resources and for the protection of the ecological environment within the Karst WNHS. This research aims to assess the following ESs in the Karst WNHS, for the period 2000–2020: water conservation (WC), soil conservation (SC), carbon sequestration (CS), and habitat quality (HQ). Additionally, the objective of this study is to examine the space–time evolution of these ESs. Spearman’s correlation coefficient and spatial auto-correlation analyses were utilized to ascertain the temporal and spatial trade-offs and synergies for each ES. The results of this study indicate the following: (1) Between the years 2000 and 2020, the inter-annual changes in HQ and CS at the Shibing and Libo-Huanjiang WNHS exhibited a relatively stable pattern, with a gradual increasing trend, and in contrast, the inter-annual changes in WC and SC exhibited greater fluctuations; (2) the distribution of ESs is closely linked to land use patterns, and woodland is the most critical land type of the ESs, contributing the most to each ES; (3) population density is negatively correlated with various ecosystem services, while GDP is positively correlated with each ecosystem service; and (4) the Karst WNHS in Southern China demonstrates a clear and significant synergistic relationship between WC and CS. This relationship is primarily characterised by a strong synergistic effect. The synergistic relationship between HQ and WC exhibited a weakening trend within both study areas. Furthermore, the SC demonstrated a spatial trade-off relation with HQ, CS, and WC.

Dismantling Ships to Revitalize Coral Reefs with Artificial Reefs

Australia's Great Barrier Reef is an immense swath of coral made up of about 2,900 reefs, 600 mainland islands, and 300 coral atolls. It stretches for 2,200 kilometers, ranging in width from 30 km to 740 km. This natural wonder is visible from space and is the largest structure in the world made solely by living organisms. The corals that form this barrier are essential for marine biodiversity and were elected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. However, the Great Barrier Reef faces serious challenges, including bleaching caused by rising temperatures and the impacts of climate change. One strategy for revitalizing reefs is the use of sunken old ships to create artificial reefs. This approach not only conserves the marine environment, but also promotes scientific research and the production of bioproducts. Artificial ship reefs provide substrates for the marine community and simulate environments similar to natural reefs, contributing to the protection and revitalization of this important barrier reef. It is essential to develop strategies to preserve the oceans and mitigate the impacts of human activities, ensuring the survival of this ecosystem and protecting it as a treasure.