Projekt

Designation of cultural landscapes as UNESCO World Heritage Sites with outstanding universal values defines a globally recognized status, beyond its local values. However, cultural landscapes are not static, and many of them experience strong local dynamics with massive environmental, economic, and social changes and conflicts. This project aims to understand UNESCO World Heritage Sites as 'living' landscapes that are shaped and transformed through local dynamics including context-specific socio-economic, cultural, environmental and political factors, by taking the cases of Konso Cultural Landscape in Ethiopia and the Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests in Kenya. The project will use concepts and methods from social anthropology, development studies and geography to collect and analyse qualitative and quantitative data on humanenvironment relationships in a bottom-up participatory mixed methods approach. The data collection and analytical tools are chosen in consideration to understanding how actors' interests are expressed, negotiated, and contested. It will also be researched how the local dynamics and development processes affect integration and future of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Thereby, the analysis and understanding of UNESCO World Heritage Sites as 'living' and changing cultural landscapes intends to contribute to a better integration of the changing needs, attitudes and interests of people who live in them, and thus help to develop approaches to maintain their sustainable future.

• Dr. Girma Kelboro Mensuro

  Universität Bonn
  Political and Cultural Change
  Center for Development Research
  Bonn
  

• Dr. Abiyot Legesse

  Dilla University
  Geography and Environmental studies
  Dilla
  Äthiopien
  

• Dr. Eric Kioko

  Kenyatta University
  School of Environment
  Environmental Studies and Community Development
  Nairobi
  Kenia