World Heritage Sites Essay

Cultural sites can be in the form of historic buildings, monuments, and archeological sites that hold some cultural value. The natural heritage sites are areas that contain rare occurrences, or are inhabited by endangered animals and plants. They can even have records regarding early life or earth-forming process. Mixed world heritage sites contain both elements of cultural and natural heritage sites. World heritage sites in urban areas face threats from human activities that threaten their existence. Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City Source: https://whc. unesco. org/en/list/1150 Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City contains six areas that provide proof of the existence of ancient trading centers that dominated the 18th and 19th centuries. This is significant because the City of Liverpool was critical during the expansion and development of the British Empire as it provide a port that facilitated trade within the region.

Slaves and immigrants from northern Europe used this port to access America. It is considered the birthplace of the Lord Buddha. UNESCO made the place a world heritage site in 1997. It was inscribed as a heritage site in honor of Siddhartha Gautama, the Lord Buddha. His birthplace was the gardens of Lumbini in 623 B. C, which was later converted to a pilgrimage (UNESCO, 2014). This is proof that Lumbini was a pilgrimage for many centuries. The site is protected under the Ancient Monument Act of 1956. The management of the site is under the Lumbini Development Trust, a nonprofit organization (UNESCO 2014). This gives it an advantage of effective management. However, the site still faces threats from human and natural activities. Additionally, Lamu Old Town is an important link in the entire region of East Africa due to its influence in religious, cultural and technological factors.

The historical value of the site is derived from the old trade that brought together Indians, Persians, Bantu speakers and Arabs to the Kenyan Coast (UNESCO, 2013). The narrow streets and unique stone buildings in Lamu make it magnificent and hold important cultural heritage. The buildings are influenced by a unique fusion of all the ancient occupants of the coastal island. The urban structure and architecture of the town signify the cultural influence of the town from more than seven centuries ago. Human activities like restoration and reconstruction of the site have a socio-economic effect on the cultural development of projects. The reasons behind the reconstruction include the need to provide sufficient facilities to cater to the increasing demand of visitors. Tourists from all over the world tour the City of Liverpool for fun and pleasure.

However, the need to expand affects the appearance of the heritage site and affects its original purpose of preserving cultural and historical heritage. The process of human regeneration occurs when the historic and cultural buildings of the heritage site are in a poor state and low value added. The world heritage convention has had a great impact on the conservation of world heritage sites as a tool for international conservation. With its almost universal membership, the convention covers most states of the United Nations. This has helped the convention to achieve great success there is effective cooperation among governments, individuals, institutions, and the private sector. The unanimous message of the convention is to preserve and transmit cultural and cultural heritage that has outstanding international value.

This transmission aims to provide the same heritage to future generations. There have been concerns about the imbalances in the list of heritage sites due to the long time that countries take to ratify the convention. There has also been the western influence on the concept of heritage, which focuses on monuments. There are many gaps evident in cultural sites, with underrepresentation of modern heritage and prehistoric heritage. Additionally, on the natural heritage, there is an inadequate representation of tropical grassroots, lake systems, as well as the tundra and polar deserts. At the same time, there is a geographical imbalance in the location of the sites. The assessment also includes the organization and management of the conservation in different regions. These systems are necessary for ensuring that the status of the sites is well maintained.

However, their complexity and high cost make them ineffective. The committee is contemplating the most effective way of creating short and long-term strategies in a clear and simple manner. For instance, there is the need to simplify the Periodic Reporting system to make it easy to compile and analyze for quick decision-making. There are some sites that are inscribed in the danger list due to various reasons like natural catastrophes, urbanization, and conflicts. Sites in the danger list require more support and actions necessary to safeguard the site. The international community and the local and national governments have to put more support and resources towards the safeguarding of the site. Once the sites regain normalcy, they should be struck from the danger list, meaning that they cease to receive international support (Leask 2006).

However, the process might be tedious and complex, leading to a longer stay of some sites on the danger list. There is the need to grow the sources of financing through public participation and appeal for more donations. The private sector should also be encouraged to provide sponsorship to enhance the convention’s finances. Other recommendations include tourism involvement to inform the public about the importance of supporting the conservation of the sites (Swarbrooke and Page 2012, p. Additionally, there can be an increase in the role of the convention in social and ethical investment in corporations and financial institutions. Creation of regional and national funds can also help support the financial needs of the convention. This will market the heritage sites as places of leisure and education.

This way, there will be the popularity of the heritage sites and more support from the support for the sites. Generally, successful mitigation of the challenges includes the promotion of activities that can suppress climate change. It is a difficult and diverse activity as different places face different challenges. The activities include the reduction of carbon emissions and reduce the use of non-renewable energy. At the local level, the residents of the area need to be trained on the importance of the heritage sites and their cultural value. This way, they can take the responsibility of taking care of the sites to preserve their heritage. Climate change affects the local community as well, which makes it possible to train the local communities on how they can help to prevent climate change in their daily lifestyles.