Not all World Heritage Sites have people living within or close by their boundaries, but many do. The designation of World Heritage status brings a new dimension to the functioning of local communities and particularly through tourism. Too many tourists accentuated by the World Heritage label, or in some cases not enough tourists, despite anticipation of increased numbers, can act to disrupt and disturb relations within a community and between communities. Either way, tourism can be seen as a form of activity that can generate interest and concern as it is played out within World Heritage Sites. But the relationships that World Heritage Sites and their consequent tourism share with communities are not just a function of the number of tourists. The relationships are complex and ever changing as the communities themselves change and are built upon long-standing and wider contextual factors that stretch beyond tourism. This volume, drawing upon a wide range of international cases relating to some 33 World Heritage Sites, reveals the multiple dimensions of the relations that exist between the sites and local communities. The designation of the sites can create, obscure and heighten the power relations between different parts of a community, between different communities and between the tourism and the heritage sector. Increasingly, the management of World Heritage is not only about the management of buildings and landscapes but about managing the communities that live and work in or near them.

This book explores the objects, means and ends of international cultural heritage protection. It starts from a broad conception of cultural heritage that encompasses both tangible property, such as museum objects or buildings, and intangible heritage, such as languages and traditions. Cultural heritage thus defined is protected by various legal regimes, including the law of armed conflicts, UNESCO Conventions and international criminal law. With a view to strengthening international protection, the authors analyze existing regimes and elaborate innovative concepts, such as blue helmets of culture and safe havens for endangered cultural heritage. Finally, the ends of international protection come to the fore, and the authors address possible conflicts between protecting cultural diversity and wishes to strengthen cultural identity.

Earthen architecture constitutes one of the most diverse forms of cultural heritage and one of the most challenging to preserve. It dates from all periods and is found on all continents but is particularly prevalent in Africa, where it has been a building tradition for centuries. Sites range from ancestral cities in Mali to the palaces of Abomey in Benin, from monuments and mosques in Iran and Buddhist temples on the Silk Road to Spanish missions in California. This volume's sixty-four papers address such themes as earthen architecture in Mali, the conservation of living sites, local knowledge systems and intangible aspects, seismic and other natural forces, the conservation and management of archaeological sites, research advances, and training.

Publié à l’occasion du 40e anniversaire de la Convention du patrimoine mondial, ce recueil thématique d’études de cas offre une analyse approfondie des sites du patrimoine mondial et de leur valeur universelle exceptionnelle dans le contexte du développement durable. Les études de cas décrivent vingt-six sites du patrimoine mondial représentant une variété de thèmes, de typologies et de régions ; elles expliquent leurs apports positifs aux communautés locales et aux écosystèmes, et partagent les enseignements tirés avec toutes les parties prenantes impliquées. Le livre met l’accent sur une vision holistique et intégrée du patrimoine mondial, le reliant avec le rôle joué par les communautés locales dans sa gestion et sa protection, avec les questions de durabilité des écosystèmes et de préservation de la diversité biologique, linguistique et culturelle. La dimension interdisciplinaire de ce livre ralliera les chercheurs, les praticiens, les représentants des communautés et le grand public, et encouragera la conservation du patrimoine culturel et naturel, vecteur clé du développement durable et de la cohésion sociale.

This highly illustrated book offers an accessible summary of Hadrian’s Wall, and an overview of the wider context of the Roman frontiers.