Fifteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

This study finds itself at the very intersection of challenges in the ecological as well as social sector. By analyzing ecosystems that have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list and assessing their individual governance, management, and community structures, the paper creates an overview of some of the most precious ecosystems in the world. It further shows how well protected sites are structured and what is missing from those that lack in their protective strategies. To develop this overview, the author utilizes a mixed methods approach. As a first step, nearly 200 ecosystems on the World Heritage List are assessed through a self-developed statistical analysis that enables adequate comparative evaluations. The second step is to identify some of the most positive and negative examples and create a coherent individual qualitative analysis that assesses what specific governance, management, and community structures or the lack thereof can be identified as having an impact on the individual ecosystem. As a result, this research enables researcher and practitioners to have an overview of good and bad practices in the protection of World Heritage ecosystems. In particular, it shows how the interconnectedness of different actors and governance systems that surround an ecosystem can enhance or degrade the protection efforts and the survival of these ecosystems for future generations.