Preservation of World Heritage Sites in the Modern World

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SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
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Introduction:
UNESCO World Heritage Sites have been deeply impacted by Environmental change as
well as local and national initiatives in the region. This assignment will discuss the impact that
climate change, local and governmental building plans and other factors such as human
intervention on World Heritage sites. The Assignment will discuss the history of World Heritage,
the development of ideology behind ‘endangered’ heritage sites and the laws and
recommendations from UNESCO for the preservation of these sites. The paper will focus on
Maritime Mercantile City as the prime example of the complications of modern urban
development in the preservation of World Heritage sites. The paper will also discuss a few
cases of delisting of Heritage sites from the World Heritage Site list as well. The aim of the
paper is to elaborate on the preservation of World Heritage sites by UNESCO in the modern
world and the environmental limitations of the process (Center, 2018).
Background:
With the formation of the United Nations, the world became more aware of its history.
Many sites around the world were considered a gift, not only to the nation they belonged to; but
the whole world. That is why; in 1965 White House conference presented the idea of a “World
Heritage Trust”. Its aims are famously preserved in history as; “the world's superb natural and
scenic areas and historic sites for the present and the future of the entire world citizenry”. The
proposal was continued by the “International Union of Conservation of Nature” over time and
was eventually proposed to the United Nations Conference on The Human Environment in
1972. On 16th November 1972, the “Convention Concerning the Protection of the World
Cultural and Natural Heritage” was taken by the General Assembly of the United Nations. On
17th December 1975, the convention was ratified by 19 countries, with 189 signatories who
were a part of the United Nations.
Significance:
The convention is significant because this is the first pact of its kind that brings natural
and cultural heritage preservation together under one inspecting system.
Selection process: The International Council on Monuments and Sites will evaluate the list of
chosen from every country and will be advised on the matter by World Conservation Union. The
World Heritage Committee meets once a year to decide whether the presented sites obey at
least one of the ten selection criteria to choose a World Heritage Site (Cultural tourism, 1993).
There are 1092 World Heritage Sites in 167 states. The highest concentration of World Heritage
Sites is in Italy, followed by China, Spain, France and Germany. As China is one of the most
highly polluted lands in the world while Italy and Spain are highly Mediterranean lands; the

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impact that government policies and the environment has on the heritage sites around the world
are the reason that UNESCO deemed fit to take clear action for the preservation of its sites.
Heritage Preservation:
International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) has stated in its ‘Tourism
Handbook for World Heritage Site Managers’ that “to assist in the proper management of World
Heritage Sites, recommended that all countries signatory to the Convention consider
introduction of domestic legislation to regulate and control the management of World Heritage
Sites within their jurisdiction” (Cultural tourism, 1993). This emphasis on local management of
the Heritage sites goes back to the fact that the preservation of heritage sites was to preserve
the heritage of mother Earth in that geographical location. Only one out of 19 signatories have
enacted proper legislation to preserve the World Heritage Sites in their country. Australia
passed the “1983 World Heritage Properties Conservation Act” that is there to preserve the
World Heritage Sites that are in their jurisdiction. There are many factors that can affect the
World Heritage site located in the country; some of these factors are as follows;
Predicted Problems
The site is certainly going to incur problems that are easy to foresee, as follows;
 The decay of infrastructure
 The Decay of artifacts
 The change or fading of landscape design
 The fading or change in the natural design of the site that takes away the historical
outlook.
 The reduction in original aura
 The deterioration of culturally important features of the site.
Possible Problems
The problems that may occur in the national stance on the heritage site or any other local
perspectives that causes a threat to the heritage status of the site.
 The reduction in protective measures by the country that holds the site.
 Absent or limited intention to conserve the site.
 The regional or local planning that takes away from the site
 The changes by the local authorities
 The destruction caused by natural disasters such as earth quakes and floods.
(Centre, 2018)
Many of the World Heritage Sites are in continuous danger of destruction from any of these
factors.

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The List of World Heritage in Danger:
The list contains 54 properties from around the world that have deteriorated extensively
and are soon in danger of being changed beyond repair or preservation. If that level of
deterioration occurs, then the site will no longer be considered a World Heritage Site and will be
taken off the list of World Heritage Sites from the UNESCO convention. Many World Heritage
Sites have been stripped of their title by UNESCO due to lack of adherence to the rules and
regulations.
Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary was taken out of the World Heritage Site list in 2007 according
to the government’s wishes.
Dresden Elbe Valley in Germany was taken off the list in 2009.
Bagrati Cathedral in Georgia was stripped off its Heritage Status in 2017 after renovations took
away its authenticity to a significant degree.
A recent study of the Heritage Impact Assessments conducted by the UNESCO from its
inception in 2011 to the year 2016 has to lead to significant findings. The study concludes that a
hundred assessments that were conducted in that time needed to be evaluated from the
perspectives of local and governmental stakeholders and the local sentiments regarding the
process of delisting should also be taken into account. They also emphasized the fact that
heritage value of any site is fluid and should be taken while keeping modern truths in mind
(Patiwael P, Groote P and Vanclay F, 2018).
The Liverpool Landing Stage (1893) William F. Preston © NMGM Image