World Heritage Sites - Essay Example

?First World heritage sites Legislation and Policy In the world there exist places which have exemplary cultures or physical features so much so much so that these have been recognized and listed by UNESCO. These sites may include forests, buildings, monuments, lakes or even just a desert. In most cases the places that have been highlighted as world heritage sites usually have a special physical appearance or culture that is associated with it. The places are usually designated as those that have a special significance to humanity. The selection process of these places is usually a rather complicated one majorly due to the fact that there are several places that may all be proposed for inscription as a world heritage site. The body that elects those sites that are to be listed as the world heritage sites is the United Nations General Assembly. At the same time the list of all the heritage sites of the world is maintained by the International World Heritage Programme which is under the UNESCO. There are certain special conditions under which these sites may receive funds say for maintenance and upgrade from the World Heritage Fund kitty. There are certain countries that have had the chance to have several sites listed. An perfect example in this case happens to be Italy. It is to be noted that the country has close to 47 sites that have been inscribed as world heritage sites. Overall in the world there are around 725 cultures that have been listed, together with about 936 sites. The issue of world heritage sites was not an idea that was borne by the United Nations. As a matter of fact it was something that had its roots in Egypt. This was after the building of the Aswan High Dam in the year 1954. After the United Nations saw that the dam could lead to some safeguards in the Egyptian nation, it launched a worldwide safeguard campaign and in the process UNESCO launched the International Council of Monuments and Sites which was started with the intention of protecting the world heritage which was perceived to be of importance to the entire humanity. It is however, the United States that came up with the idea of bringing together natural conservation with the aspect of cultural conservation. Similar proposals were also developed and presented to the United Nations in the year 1972 by the International Union of Conservation of Nature. It is to be appreciated that as a result of the world heritage sites program there are some countries that have benefitted tremendously as a result of this .The main reason for this is because these sites automatically become tourist sites. Over the years these sites have always attracted large numbers of people who are marveled by the features they entail or at the same time there are those that visit the sites with the intention of getting to know more about them. The nomination process that has been set forth is quite a rigorous one especially for the country that wants some of its sites to be listed therein. For starters the country in question must first take an inventory of all its natural properties and cultures which it perceives to be of importance. In actual sense this is called coming up with the Tentative List. After this is done then the nomination process begins. It is to be noted that a country is not supposed to nominate a site or culture that is not in the Tentative List. After this is done those sites that have been selected are then to be placed in the Nomination File. After this is done there are bodies that evaluate the file and make their recommendations to the World Heritage Committee. These bodies include the World Conservation Union and The International Council of Monuments and Sites. The Heritage committee then meets once a year and this is the time when it makes the decision of whether to inscribe particular sites or not. Preservation and Development It may be asked that who owns the site once it has been inscribed as a world heritage site. In actual sense it is the property of the country that it is in. this will have rather significant implications for the governments of these countries. For starters they will be the ones that will be primarily charged with the responsibility of managing these sites. The conservation and preservation of these sites will be the issues that will be of primary concern. These governments are the ones that will be charged with the responsibility of raising awareness over the sites. At the same time they will be the ones charged with the responsibility of managing the funds that are to be used in maintaining these sites. It should also be understood that the ratification of the convention makes the treaty one that is legally binding. For this reason the governments that have in their countries these heritage sites will have to act in accordance to the prescriptions of the treaty when it comes to the issue of the sites that are there in them. This is because the sites and cultures do not just become national property but as a matter of fact they are an issue that is of interest to the international stakeholders. The sustainability of some of the world heritage sites is at the same time something that is of question. This is so because there are certain phenomena which happen to be beyond the control of human beings which in one way or the other will end up affecting the very existence of these sites. Global warming in particular comes into focus in this case. There are certain sites for example the natural water bodies and forest cover which may end up being depleted as a result of the increased warming of the planet. To a greater extent this is something that is beyond the control of the average person but looking at it from another angle and it will be seen that it is only human beings that may reduce the warming. This is because we are the major pollutants of the atmosphere. Stakeholder Interests There is quite a lot of benefits that can be achieved from the fact that a heritage site is associated with a particular country. The first one being the financial benefit that will come by as a resulted of increased tourism. People will want to find out about the site and for this matter go ahead and just visit them. And example is the pyramids in Egypt. There is no much limitations that these sites will bring but at the same time their existence will have some implications on the developments of the areas they are in. An example is in Russia where industrial development had to be halted for the purpose of the heritage sites that had been inscribed in the country. This may be costly to the country when one looks at it from the economic and developmental point of view. There are certain associated advantages that come about as a result of the world heritage sites. For starters is that it guarantees the integrity and full preservation of some of the unique areas that are associated with the sites. At the same time the prestige of these areas and the institutions that govern them is increased. In the present day and age this convention seems to be one of the most important objects when it comes to the protection and preservation of cultural and natural objects. A good example in this case is that of Russia. The convention has aided in putting to an end some projects which if they would be allowed to go on they would cause significant harm to some of the heritage sites that are in Russia such as the Virgin Komi Forests and the Western Caucasus. In most cases there is quite a lot at stake when it comes to these world heritage sites. At times this actually leads to conflicts that are brought about as a result of lack of a clear cut path that is to be followed in relation to the governance of these sites. Of particular interest in this case is the issue of conservation or tourism. It should be noted that at times encouragement of tourism may not necessarily lead to preservation. There are instances when tourism is encouraged then the aspect of conservation may be entirely lost. In most cases it may actually be difficult to contain the fuss that is usually associated with the sites that have been inscripted as world heritage sites. This is particularly because everyone will want to see these sites and just what they entail. At the end of it all the management is something that will play a critical role in determining whether it is of essence to conserve the areas or on the other hand encourage tourism. Management Planning There are quite a number of issues also facing these world heritage sites and these are majorly to do with their branding. The names of these sites have in some cases been used well to the advantage of the locations in which they are in abut at the same time there are other instances where these sites have been misused and in actual sense their management being carried out in the shadow of UNESCO. This is because it has been established that there may be a lot of gain associated with these sites but what happens is that this United Nations body is always having interest in the happenings surrounding these sites. For this reasons the government or other bodies that have been given the responsibility to take care of these sites may in some cases divert from the expectations which the UNESCO may be having on them. This is a case where these sites have been institutionalized by the countries in which they are in much to their advantage but at the same time flaunting the regulations set forth by the convention. It is actually not a bad thing to use the site for the benefit of the country that it is in. what is of essence is the fact that the requirements of the convention will have to be considered in relation to whatever is being undertaken concerning the sites. This is because these sites once listed are not just elements that are of local status but in actual sense they gain world recognition. This means that international parties will have special interests in whatever goes on with the sites or the cultures in question particularly in relation to their management. References UNESCO World Heritage Portal http://whc.unesco.org/ Read More