The World Heritage Centre is at the forefront of the international community’s efforts to protect and preserve.
Balancing development and conservation in Grand-Bassam (Côte d’Ivoire)
The inscription of the Historic Town of Grand-Bassam on the World Heritage List has provided new opportunities to promote sustainable development in the city. From the creation of a local World Heritage management ...
Bolstering community identity through cultural programmes in Cusco (Peru)
A variety of projects aim to protect Cusco’s cultural heritage, promote social development through crafts and strengthen traditional knowledge for sustainable development.
Cash for work: promoting local employment through heritage conservation in historic cities (Yemen)
In the context of long-standing conflict, a cash-for-work scheme provides young people with employment opportunities while contributing to the conservation of urban heritage in four historic cities.
Community-centred revitalisation of Souq al-Silah in Cairo (Egypt)
A long-standing project has been working to revitalise a commercial street in the historic district of Darb al-Ahmar and reconnect the local community with their cultural heritage. The project, developed with help ...
Conservation as a driver for development: the case of Vigan (Philippines)
Along with the nomination process of the Historic City of Vigan as a World Heritage site in 1999, the local government developed an ambitious conservation and management plan for the site. By implementing this ...
Creative youth at Indonesian heritage sites
A programme by UNESCO Jakarta and Citi Foundation aims to promote youth entrepreneurship and raise awareness about cultural and natural heritage by linking local communities’ livelihoods with the heritage sites.
Cultural entrepreneurship in Cidade Velha, Ribeira Grande (Cabo Verde)
A wide-ranging programme aims to build capacity amongst local residents to understand the potentials offered by cultural heritage, by supporting and enhancing local cultural entrepreneurship. The initiative includes ...
Daily monitoring system of heritage sites in the Baekje Historic Areas (Republic of Korea)
The daily monitoring of the conservation status of the heritage sites is carried out by local residents, who were trained as daily heritage inspectors by the managing authority. This monitoring system is a flexible, ...
Developing sustainable rural tourism in San Gimignano (Italy)
In reaction to the sharp increase in incoming visitors over the last decades, San Gimignano has developed several initiatives to support jobs and local livelihoods while respecting the town’s cultural heritage, ...
Heritage-based city branding in Trogir (Croatia)
A new city branding strategy based on cultural values and community participation aims to enhance Trogir’s attractiveness as a destination for cultural tourism.
Through a series of strategic actions, Urbino has sought to improve its environmental sustainability and promote climate change mitigation and adaptation. An update of the management plan is currently under way in ...
The Million wells for Bengaluru campaign is an initiative to build one million shallow wells using traditional well-digging techniques. The initiative for the revival of traditional water systems integrates ...
Literary tourism in the university town of Coimbra (Portugal)
A project to create a digital map of places associated with literature aims to promote sustainable cultural tourism, relieving tourism pressures in the historic areas and encouraging visitors to explore other parts ...
Preserving traditional farming through cooperative systems in Røros (Norway)
A farming cooperative system conserves the agricultural landscape around the historic town of Røros and promotes sustainable tourism.
Promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation in Lamu Old Town (Kenya)
Lamu Old Town faces multiple threats from climate change, energy needs and rapid social and economic transformation. The Lamu Old town management plan and the Lamu Municipality Waste Management Policy focused on ...
Promoting local businesses in Mexican World Heritage Cities
An online platform connects and supports small- and medium-sized enterprises located in World Heritage Cities in Mexico, promoting national tourism and increasing local businesses' digital presence.
After the World Heritage Committee warned in 2016 that the poor state of conservation of the property could lead to its inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger, a number of local, national and ...
Reintroduction of hydropower in the mills district of the Town of Bamberg (Germany)
The installation of a new water turbine at the site of the former water mills in the Town of Bamberg follows traditional water practices while respecting the Outstanding Universal Value of the property. The new ...
In order to face challenges such as urban gentrification, the abandonment of the city centre and the impact of tourism, the City of Santiago de Compostela developed a comprehensive framework for heritage ...
Strengthening residents’ connection with their gardening heritage in Bamberg (Germany)
In the city of Bamberg, traditional gardening practices are part of the city’s strategy to promote urban sustainability. The COVID-19 pandemic helped to strengthen the local community’s connection with its gardening ...