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The Role of Local Communities and Well-Being in UNESCO World Heritage Site Conservation: An Analysis of the Operational Guidelines, 1994–2019

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  • Hanbyeol Jang

    (Department of Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA)

  • Jeremy Mennis

    (Department of Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA)

Abstract

UNESCO’s world heritage program aims to protect sites of cultural and natural heritage worldwide. Issues of local communities and well-being have been given increasing attention by heritage conservation scholars, but a systemic review of UNESCO guidelines has not been performed. Here, we examine the evolution of the ‘Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention,’ documents representing the heritage conservation policies of UNESCO over the period 1994–2019. Using keyword analysis and document analysis, the findings show evidence of an increasing emphasis on local communities, growing primarily since 2005. However, the theme of well-being only first emerged in the operational guidelines in 2019. Political, economic, and environmental challenges idiosyncratic to specific places often complicate the role of local communities and well-being in heritage conservation priorities. Future research should investigate the potential implementation and implications of these changes for the guidelines at specific UNESCO world heritage sites.

Suggested Citation

  • Hanbyeol Jang & Jeremy Mennis, 2021. "The Role of Local Communities and Well-Being in UNESCO World Heritage Site Conservation: An Analysis of the Operational Guidelines, 1994–2019," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-14, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:13:p:7144-:d:582092
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    1. Kiriaki M. Keramitsoglou & Panagiotis Koudoumakis & Sofia Akrivopoulou & Rodope Papaevaggelou & Angelos L. Protopapas, 2023. "Biodiversity as an Outstanding Universal Value for Integrated Management of Natural and Cultural Heritage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-35, May.
    2. Huang, Chengkun & Xu, Hong, 2025. "From indigenous villages to World Heritage Sites: Structural violence in spatial transformation," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    3. José Ramón-Cardona & David Daniel Peña-Miranda & María Dolores Sánchez-Fernández, 2021. "Critical Analysis of a World Heritage Site in Terms of Conservation and Tourism Promotion: The Case of “Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture” (Ibiza, Spain)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-23, November.

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