Okay, in the last lecture, we have been talking
about the world heritage sites and we spoke
about the various criteria, criteria we haven’t
talked about, we actually talked about the
process.
And in that course of lecture, we also discussed
about that when a particular site is inscribed
as a world heritage site, it also gives us
a responsibility to the state party.
So, we will talk about that, we will start
from there.
You remember that we talked about that there
are definitely certain benefits tourism and
cooperation other things, and more visibility
internationally, but there is also an added
responsibility to the state party when a site
is inscribed as a world heritage site and
as in the last lecture also, I showed that
at the moment there are 54 properties which
are those red dots which are the put under
the sites which are in danger.
What does that mean is actually that UNESCO
puts them as a danger, and if the state party
does not take proper action, then ultimately
after few years it will be delisted and it
will no longer be a listed property.
And some state parties do take it seriously
and take it as a matter of prestige and pride,
some do not take it.
So, there are different case, we will discuss
some of the case.
But let us see that what are these and I told
you that this is a list, it continues you
can always see that which are the those red
dots and which are the properties.
And what is the reason you can go to the each
and every site and find out on your own that
what is the reason that why they are listed
as the danger party, that will give you an
understanding of the management issues and
the responsibility about the world heritage
site.
I will talk about the very recent one that
in 2017 when that Krakow in Poland that UNESCO
met.
The World Heritage Committee has inscribed
the Historic Center of Vienna on the list
of world heritage in danger due to high-rise
projects in the middle of the Austrian capital.
It is the entire old city core of Vienna which
is declared as a world heritage site, and
which actually.
And what did it say, it says that in its decision.
The committee regrets that the Vienna Ice-Skating
Club – Intercontinental Hotel projects fails
to comply fully with the previous Committee
decisions, notably concerning the height of
the new construction, which will impact adversely
to the outstanding universal value or the
OUV of the site.
So, this you can see that this is what is
the Vienna.
And this is also in winter, this is actually
a skating very internationally known skating,
a lot of tourists come there.
And because of that there was a proposal or
a project of a hotel, international hotel
which was violating the height of that.
So, let us see what is that.
As I say that it was that Historic Center
of Vienna, and this is actually the hotel
which was, which actually came up, which actually
came up.
And so, so, this is the hotel.
So, what we can see here that that in that
historic centre sort of these highway structures
came up which is actually more than the height
of this historic centre.
So, it is actually violating the historic
norms.
So, this is actually the problem, this was
not the problem.
The problem was actually this height which
came up.
And this actually there was a lot of protest
when it was coming up if you can go to the
site, you will see that what was the stakeholders
viewpoint and actually the hotel body, the
body which are the representatives of the
hotels in Vienna, they actually wanted that
high rise because of the increased demand
for the more spaces in there.
And they said that making an high rise hotel
actually no way will reduce the tourism or
the tourist influx in the Vienna, in Vienna
that area and it is required and so they actually
went ahead with the International Multistoried
Project which actually violated the norms
for the height.
So, this is something which we will see more
and more these issues, we will come up later
on.
And this is one of the very recent example.
It has not been delisted yet, but it is there.
Now, when we are talking about so much about
the outstanding universal value because that
is why it was put it in danger that it violated
the outstanding universal value or OUV, we
must know more in detail that what really
is this OUV, and what really makes a site
world heritage site.
Now, as it says the outstanding universal
value is the basis device in the World Heritage
Convention to qualify any property as World
Heritage or not.
So, this is the basic qualifying criteria
to be inscribed as a World Heritage site.
This refers to the properties exceptional
qualities, this is something which is outstanding,
exceptional which is nothing there, unique
value.
Exceptional qualities that are unparalleled
in the world and make it deem worthy of World
Heritage status.
So, this is actually one must understand that
what is that OUV, why in Vienna that making
an high rise structure in the city centre,
they did not demolish any historic structure,
they just made some high rise structures.
So, how that, that interfere with the outstanding
universal value.
So, one has to go back to the outstanding
universal value or OUV of that property or
that area for which it was inscribe and to
see that whether it really was violating that,
this is very important factor.
Now, as per the operational guidelines, which
are very important and which also you can
find it in the site, the OUV is defined as
the cultural and or national significance.
We talked a lot about value earlier, so we
are talking about this now which is so exceptional,
which is so exceptional as to transcend the
national boundaries and to be of common interest,
the importance for the present and future
generations of all humanity.
So, this is something very important that
it actually is beyond the national boundary,
it is something which is important and significant
for the entire human, that community as a
whole and that is what makes is OUV.
So, this OUV is very important to understand
and when we are talking about so varied types
of heritage and all over the world.
Now, this operational guidelines is a very
important document which actually gives a
very lot of discussion, documents, guidelines
and that how to do that.
So, operational guidelines for the implementation
of the World Heritage Convention 72 under
which this World Heritage Listing is done
as the name suggests aims to operationalize
and implement the World Heritage Convention
and lays down the procedures.
So, it is very important for working for the
world heritage sites nomination.
So, what it does procedures for the inscription
of properties on the World Heritage List and
the list of World Heritage in danger.
So, it talks about both that which should
be put into inscribed and which should be
put as a danger what is its violating.
The protection and the conservation of world
heritage sites or properties, the granting
of international assistance under the world
heritage fund.
So, it is there is a fund and under there
are certain condition under which the granting
of that fund and international assistance
can be offered to a particular site.
So, there are certain guidelines for that
and the mobilization of national and international
support in favor of the convention.
So, these are very important because it clearly
gives a guidelines for all this for the assistance,
the protection that which will be inscribed,
what will be in danger, and in under what
condition which condition the assistance can
be given.
So, these are very quite clear guidelines.
They are not rules as such, but the guidelines
are important.
The operational guideline as I also mentioned
that if you see the history of the how the
world heritage site status and inscription
is evolved, it is not a static one, what was
there in 1972 and what is there today is there
is a lot of change.
So, it is a very dynamic process which a lot
of these member see depending on the need
of the time, and the challenges which are
being faced.
So, they are periodically revised to reflect
the World Heritage Committees decision and
changing trends in the heritage conservation.
So, as we do, we are talking about heritage
of a past, we are talking about something
which should be preserved, but then also we
must understand that entire process is quite
a dynamic one, and it also changes according
to the challenges.
Now, as I said you that there are not only
one categories of property, there are various
categories of properties and as we will see
more and more the different categories are
also emerging and conventions are also getting
changed, because each and every country, each
and every culture has a different types of
heritage sites.
So, let us see what are the categories.
So, broadly in 1972 convention, it identified
two categories.
One is the cultural properties which are manmade;
and another one are the broadened, a very
broadened which comes under the Cultural Landscapes,
Historic Cities and Villages, Culture Routes
and Historic Canals.
So, these all comes under the, these cultural
properties broadly.
So, it is quite vast, quite broad UNESCO.
The other broad category, subcategory is the
natural property.
So, cultural properties and the natural properties,
the cultural properties as I told you manmade,
but under which there can be a cities, villages,
landscapes, canals, routes, a lot of things
can be done.
Silk Route is a very important part of that
which is international heritage which a lot
of countries are involved, nations are involved
including India.
Natural properties are also there.
Now, there is also a third type of property
which was adopted by the heritage committee
which is called the mixed cultural and natural,
remember we talked about that half green and
half yellow, so which is a mixed property
which is can be a cultural natural.
By many nation many cultures which do not
have a discretion or so much of clear this
difference between the cultural and the nature,
it even in India if you see a lot of properties
where natural and the cultural, they are all
mixed together.
So, they cannot be really clearly made into
different categories.
So, these are now talking about the mixed
properties.
Such properties which are usually large area
and satisfy a part of the whole of the definition
of both cultural and natural property.
So, this is the third category which sometimes
is a huge area, we will see some of the example
and you can also search and see that what
type of properties these are.
Now, let us talk about the types of cultural
property.
And mostly I have taken the reference from
the lectures I have mentioned when we talked
about here mostly in the Indian scenario.
And later on we can also refer to some of
the international one.
So, let us see.
So, one first category is the monument, Taj
Mahal is a very good example of that which
are architectural works, works of monumental
sculpture and painting, it can be a very huge
structure, it can be as small also.
Elements or structures of an archaeological
nature, inscriptions you remember that Udayagiri
we talked about the inscription.
Inscription, cave dwellings and combination
of features which are of outstanding universal
value from the point of view of history, art
and science.
So, again also it is not always as straight
also art, we will see some of the examples
concerning that.
So, Taj Mahal is a very good example which
is the comes under the category of the monuments.
The second one is the group of buildings,
groups of separate or connected buildings
which because of their architecture, their
homogeneity or their place in the landscape
are of outstanding universal value from the
point of view of history, art or science.
For example, the Goa’s the Churches and
Convents of Goa which are quite a few of them
they are in Goa, but scattered over a different
areas, they form this group.
So, this is a group of the buildings they
come under the second category.
Then there can be the sites also.
It does not mean always there will be the
built up structures like monuments and other.
These sites are works of man because it is
under the cultural category: Works of man
or combined works of nature and man and areas
including archaeological sites which are of
outstanding universal value from the historical,
aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological
point of view.
For example, the Champaner which is a very
important as there is a hill, the size, the
nature.
And it makes it is a world heritage sites
and which that is known as the Champaner Pavagadh
Archeological Park because it has many of
the archaeological sites in addition to some
of the width of structure and the natural
sites.
Now, this comes under the third category which
is the sites.
And these broadly make up the cultural properties.
But there is also another category, which
is the special cultural properties.
The definition of cultural heritage has been
broadened because as I told you it is a very
evolving concept, and it has been happening,
depending on the challenges, depending on
the new inscriptions or the new submission
of the new types of heritage properties the
definition has been broadened over the time
to include any property, with built heritage
component including its natural setting, if
it processes OUV.
This includes the historic towns and cities,
the historic canals which is very important
again very interesting, there is one very
good example in Canada the cultural routes
including the religious and the trade routes,
I mentioned the Silk Route, there are other
different routes are also happening.
People are talking about and started documenting
and inscription locally or internationally.
And the cultural landscape, this cultural
landscape is a very, very, very important
concept which one should understand I just
briefly mentioned in one of my last lecture.
Cultural landscape are that are manifest as
tangible expression of the significant interaction
between the man and nature.
This is what is important, it is not only
the built man made built or the nature where
this, this interaction between this and manifestation
of the interaction between the man and the
nature.
Where the rice terraces of Philippine which
are now as a world heritage sites that how
they are traditionally people have worked
on the nature for a certain occupation and
the cultivation, a particular type of cultivation.
So, this is what is called the cultural landscape.
And there is also a lot of tradition, intangible
beliefs, practices are also associated with
that.
And this is an important type of category
of special cultural properties which is emerging.
Now, so far Indian focus has been mostly on
the monuments and archaeological sites.
We have seen the ASI and the State Archaeology
Department.
We are yet to tap the vast wealth of heritage
represented by our historic cities, towns,
villages and cultural landscape.
India has an immense, very rich heritage things
which are just not these monuments.
But it is the entire cities, towns, historic
course which a leaving entity including with
its biological and they are also a part of
the sustainable ethos which were there traditionally.
And of varied types in their being such an
important country and this we are gradually
trying to understand that and there are different
committees of ICOMOS, local ICOMOS chapters
and other bodies which are started working
on that this cultural landscape.
And we really there is no end to it that there
are so interesting, that interface of the
man and nature.
The World Heritage Convention concerns primarily
with the tangible built heritage resources
and refers to the intangible heritage.
While talking to the cultural landscape, I
did mention that there are lots of intangible
heritage like beliefs, practice, rituals,
dance form, a language, there are varied types
of that.
But world heritage convention primarily talks
about the tangible heritage not so much of
the intangible heritage until and unless it
is a part of the cultural landscape like language,
performing arts only if they contribute directly
to the OUV of the built heritage or a components
of a cultural landscape, then world heritage
convention relates to that.
Otherwise there is a separate UNESCO convention
which we will also touch later on, that which
is the intangible heritage and a documentation
that and that is the convention for safeguarding
of intangible cultural heritage 2003.
Do you know what is the recent one in that
inscription Kuma Mala this year has been inscribed
under that convention.
And we will talk about that separately that
how these also makes a separate convention,
and there is a lot of awareness, programs,
movements which are going on that.
But as I told you that the world heritage
convention which talks about the cultural
property.
If the intangible heritage has a direct link
up with that built heritage or manmade heritage,
then that becomes a part of that.
And there are many, many world heritage sites
in India and abroad, where intangible heritage
is an year integral to the cultural heritage.
It cannot separate that, but there again as
I say there is a different list.
But as I talked about the cultural properties,
there is also the natural properties.
For example, the natural features which are
consisting of physical and biological formations
or group of such formations which are of outstanding
universal value from the aesthetic or scientific
point of view.
A very good example is the Grand Canyon of
USA, which is a biological formation on the
physical which is the nature’s contribution
and it is also one of the very unique type
of natural heritage.
The second category comes the geological or
physiographical formations.
And precisely delineated areas which constitute
the habitat of threatened species of animals
and plants of outstanding universal value
from the point of view of science or conservation,
Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary in India is that
where the rhinos are a species which are being
protected.
So, that is again comes under this second
category.
There is a third category of these natural
properties, types which is the natural size
or precisely delineated natural areas of outstanding
universal value from the point of view of
science, conservation or natural beauty.
The Western Ghats in India is one such area.
But again, again as you can see that while
I was mentioning the delineation is a very
important part and sometimes later we will
talk about how scientifically objectively
this delineation can be done.
We will talk about Santiniketan choir area
that how the delineation is a part of the
process and it has to be done very well, and
that because it has got also a statutory significance.
So, these are the types of the natural property.
So, we have talked about the categories of
the cultural properties and the types of the
natural properties.
Now, this is a very interesting if you take
the operational guidelines of UNESCO, you
will see that this thing.
And this is very interesting because I have
been talking about so many categories you
one must understand that what are these categories
which is important there.
So, you can see that here we see that there
is a natural properties ok.
So, these are the natural properties.
And then there are the cultural properties
I have talked about that, but somewhere they
sort of overlap and that is where we are seeing
this mix properties, but within that also
there is a certain area, where we are seeing
this cultural landscape.
Cultural landscape has the cultural properties,
is the mixed property.
So, it has also the natural properties, but
it is also something different.
How it is different is the cultural landscape
are inscribed under the cultural criteria
replacing the combined works of nature and
man.
Cultural landscape also can be the mix site;
they are identified as cultural landscape
under cultural criteria and the natural criteria.
So, you can see that this if you can just
sort of try to understand that you will see
that there a lot of overlapping also happens
and one has to very clearly understand that
what are these criteria, significance and
value and under which category it can come.
So, this is a, an important part of this thing.
So, one of the example is the example of mixed
property, the Kanchendzonga National Park
and which is one of the world heritage site.
So, as you can see that, I do not know whether
you know that because it has nobody can sort
of, go for mountaineering on the Kanchendzonga
because it has got a spiritual value for the
local community.
And they has and this is a lot of cultural
as you can see the dance forms and others
which are there, and are a lot of community,
their beliefs and values, the spiritual value
on how they revere Kanchenjunga.
Not only the aesthetic value for the community,
this all makes up this as a mixed property
in addition to that the different species,
the floras and faunas, the people, the ritual,
the beliefs, their dance form traditional
forms and all these makes up the mix property
why it has been ascribed as the world heritage
site.
So, it is interesting if you can go and find
out that under what are the criteria for which
has been inscribed.
Now, so we have talked about the categories,
we have talked about the outstanding universal
value.
But one must try to understand and this is
again a sort of a framework which is given
by the world heritage site convention and
the operational guidelines, you can see that
there are three pillars of this outstanding
universal value.
So, what are these pillars?
The pillars are actually as you can see that
the first is that it has to meet this criteria,
this the property meets one or more heritage
criteria, even one meeting one of the criteria
is enough to be inscribed as the world heritage
site.
Sometimes there are may be more than one.
But even in one criteria is more than enough.
So, this is one of the pillar for outstanding
universal value, but this is not enough, I
have not discussed with the criteria that
we will discuss in our next lecture.
But this is, this criteria is very important.
We just broadly said cultural and natural,
but there are other condition also, the property
meets the condition of integrity and authenticity
if it is relevant.
We have been talking touching on this mentioning
somewhere authenticity integrity.
So, we must also try to understand that what
is that condition of integrity and authenticity
if it is relevant what it means.
So, this the second pillar of the inscription
and the outstanding universal value.
But there is a third pillar also.
The third pillar is this management issue
that it is not only enough to just being inscribed
as the world heritage site, but these requirements
for protection and management which the reviewer
goes and tries to see that that how it is
the state party whether its capable of all
it is the things which are very important.
So, it takes about that.
So, these are very three important pillars
of outstanding universal value.
Now, with this I think we should take one
by one, and we should discuss the criteria
of the world heritage sites that what are
the criteria.
One will be very surprised that how many criterias
because so many types, so many types of heritage,
so many nations and countries.
So, how many criterias are there, you will
surprised to know that there only ten criteria
which are there and which tries to cover that.
So, this is very challenging and there has
to be very precise and very clear in their
statement.
So, as I told you that the outstanding heritage
value, universal value is the heritage significance
of high order.
I have already mentioned I think that it goes
beyond the national regional and local importance
Taj Mahal as I said.
And as I told you that there are only ten
criteria which are set by UNESCO, of that
six or under the cultural and the four are
the under the natural, they are combined now.
And as I told you that also they should fill
the condition of the authenticity and integrity,
these are absolutely important to understand
this concept.
But in our next lecture, we will talk about
first the first pillar that is the ten criteria,
the six cultural criteria and the four natural
criteria with examples, some of the examples
mainly from India, but there can be more examples
we will can take up later on.
But and then we will talk about authenticity
and integrity and then we will talk about
the management issue.
So, this our next lecture, we will talk about
the first ten criteria and the criteria for
justification, take up this criteria and try
to understand that what is this justification.
As I told you even satisfying one criteria
is more than enough to be inscribed as a world
heritage site, but many times you will see
that they also some sites or property can
satisfy more than one criteria, so that criteria
and the criteria for just justification will
be the topic for the next lecture.
Thank you.
