M.Sc. / The grassland biome of South Africa harbours rich ecosystem diversity. Some of the distinctive features of grassland biodiversity in South Africa include globally significant centres of plant endemism, half of the country's endemic mammal species, a third of its endangered butterfly species and 10 of 14 of its globally threatened bird species. Grassland is one of the most inadequately maintained biomes in Southern Africa because 23% is under cultivation, 60% is irreversibly transformed and most of the remaining natural area is used as rangeland for livestock. Only 2% of the grassland biome is currently protected. Grasslands provide essential ecosystem services for economic development, but this biome also supports a large human population whose resource demands have serious environmental implications that threaten the grasslands‘ biodiversity. Urbanisation is possibly one of the major immediate threats to the grassland ecology in South Africa. This is also the case in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site (COHWHS) and adjacent areas. New housing complexes and informal housing are encroaching on the COHWHS. Indigenous fauna and flora are being affected by ecologically insensitive urban development. This poses a major threat to the fauna of this region including the insects that occur in grassland habitats. The insects play a vital role as pollinators in grassland habitats and form an essential food source to a range of predators, including grass owls, shrews, bull frogs, lizards and bats. In order to conserve the insects and therefore the food web of which they form part, it is necessary to understand the diversity of the insects in the grassland in the dolomitic areas. The COHWHS is a world renowned heritage site devoted to the origin of humankind and is characterised by dolomitic caves. These caves are also the home of a large population of bats consisting of several species. The negative impact on the grasslands in the COHWHS and surroundings pose a threat to the survival of these bat populations if the food source they depend on is negatively affected. For this reason it is important to determine which flying nocturnal insect species are available in the grasslands surrounding bat roosts in the COHWHS and surroundings. 3 The choice of location for the primary trap site was made on the basis of its proximity to known bat roosts and the fact that it is situated in a nature reserve that, although the river is polluted, contains an otherwise relatively unspoilt grassland habitat. Sampling took place over a period of 14 months during which fluctuations in the insect population was observed. The fluctuations can be ascribed to seasonal climate changes and the three veld fires that occurred during this period. This fluctuation was most evident in the representatives of the Orders Lepidoptera and Coleoptera sampled.

Cette thèse étudie les mécanismes qui déterminent le succès des stratégies de développement touristique centrées sur le patrimoine culturel. La première partie revient sur la notion de patrimoine et les enjeux économiques liés à sa valorisation. Elle tente notamment d’identifier les liens entre la nature des ressources et leur place sur le marché. La seconde partie cherche à construire un cadre théorique apte à appréhender le caractère spécifique du patrimoine. Elle envisage son rôle sous l’angle des avantages absolus et différenciatifs, et s’intéresse à son processus d’activation. La troisième partie, par l’examen de la liste du patrimoine mondial, interroge le lien entre des ressources théoriquement exceptionnelles, leur valorisation par une stratégie de labellisation éprouvée (du moins dans le discours), et le statut d’attraction majeure. Des outils économétriques sont ensuite mobilisés afin d’étudier la contribution relative des caractéristiques de l’offre patrimoniale, sur les performances touristiques et socio-économiques des pseudo-cantons de Midi-Pyrénées. Bien que nos résultats montrent que la valeur culturelle des ressources détermine pour une large part leur potentiel, leur impact dépend surtout du contexte économique et des moyens déployés dans le cadre de leur mobilisation marchande. En outre, malgré le rôle central des labels dans les politiques de promotion, les tests n’apportent aucune preuve concluante d’un impact économique quantifiable leur étant associé. Ils peuvent, dans certains cas, jouer un rôle de catalyseur, mais ne sont que des leviers d’actions parmi d’autres, dont l’efficacité dépend largement du contexte et des modalités de leur usage. / This thesis investigates the determinants of cultural heritage tourism development. Part one is devoted to the notion of heritage, as well as economic issues related to its valorisation. Part two provides a theoretical and conceptual framework that takes into account the specific nature of heritage, and addresses heritage market mechanisms through the notions of absolute and differentiative advantage. Special attention is also being paid to heritage activation process. In part three, this research questions the relationship between cultural resources of outstanding universal value, valorisation through a proven labelling strategy (or at least portrayed as such), and major tourist attraction status, through the analytical lens of UNESCO world heritage list. Econometric modelling is then employed to study the relative contribution of keys cultural heritage features upon tourism and socio-economic performance at the Midi-Pyrénées’ cantonal scale. Our results show that heritage’s potential impact on tourism development is strongly related to its own intrinsic cultural value. However, the real impact of heritage depends more on the way resources are being used, and on the economic environment in which these resources are being brought into the market. Even though labels hold a central position in tourism development policy, the tests we conducted do not provide any conclusive evidence of a quantifiable economic impact. Labelling strategies may act as a catalyst for tourism and economic development, yet expected benefits remain highly contingent upon the sites’ pre-labelling economic profile, as well as the nature of the interventions that accompanies designation.

Rejoindre la Liste du Patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO nourrit des espérances économiques, sociales et culturelles de la part des gestionnaires locaux, qui sont le plus souvent à l’initiative de la candidature. En effet, la valorisation du patrimoine porte des enjeux territoriaux tels que la mise en tourisme de la ville ou l’amélioration du cadre de vie pour ses habitants. Pourtant la littérature scientifique pointe aussi les effets pervers d’une patrimonialisation urbaine, notamment quand sont décrits les processus de gentrification des centres villes ou leur muséification. À l’interstice de ces aspects, notre questionnement porte sur les conséquences socio-spatiales de l’action patrimoniale sur ses ressortissants, c’est-à-dire ceux qui en sont les principaux destinataires. Notre parti pris méthodologique a été, à partir du cas de la Cité épiscopale d’Albi (Tarn) inscrite sur la Liste du Patrimoine mondial en 2010, de mobiliser une approche quantitative et qualitative auprès des principaux destinataires (résidents, commerçants, visiteurs). Le résultat de notre thèse est de confirmer que les conséquences socio-spatiales de l’action publique patrimoniale ne sont pas univoques selon les acteurs et les échelles d’analyse considérés. Elle produit des effets ambivalents par rapport aux objectifs annoncés dans le domaine de l’attractivité, dans celui de l’implication des habitants à la vie de la cité et dans le sentiment d’appartenance à la ville. De même, les pouvoirs publics n’arrivent pas à totalement empêcher la patrimonialisation de produire des effets non désirés dans le domaine de l’altération du cadre de vie des habitants. / Joining the UNESCO World Heritage Sites brings economic, social and cultural hope to the local administrators, who are, the most often, at the initiative of the application. As a matter of fact, the enhancement of the heritage carries territorial stakes such as the touristic development of the city or the quality of life improvement for the inhabitants. However, the scientific literature also points out the negative sides of an urban heritage designation, for instance, when in city centres gentrification or “museumification” processes are described. At the crossroads of these aspects, we question the socio-spatial consequences of the heritage activities on the inhabitants, i.e. those who are the main recipients. Our methodological bias was to mobilise a quantitative and qualitative approach to the main recipients (inhabitants, shopkeepers, visitors) in the case of the Episcopal City of Albi (Tarn) registered on the UNESCO’s list of world heritage in 2010. The result of our thesis is to confirm that the socio-spatial consequences of the public heritage action are not unequivocal depending on the stakeholders and the scale of analysis considered. It produces ambivalent effects compared to the goals announced regarding the attractiveness, the inhabitants' implication in the city life and sense of belonging to the city. Likewise, public authorities are not fully able to avoid the heritage activities producing undesired effects on the living conditions of the inhabitants.

Cette thèse propose une analyse socio-politique des relations internationales au sein d'une Organisation Mondiale, en partant du cas concret de l’UNESCO dans le cadre de l’établissement des listes du Patrimoine Mondial. L’analyse sociologique des interactions entre les acteurs intervenant dans le choix et la publication des listes du Patrimoine Mondial forme le socle sur lequel une théorisation des processus en jeu est déployée. Bien que l'UNESCO fournisse aux états des outils leur permettant d'atteindre leurs objectifs nationaux, l'UNESCO contribue également à l’établissement de valeurs universelles et d’identités cosmopolites. Les dynamiques d’établissement des listes et leur contenu apparaissent de plus en plus marqués par les démarches des acteurs (états et individus) qui y participent. Le rôle de l'UNESCO apparaît donc ambivalent, dans la mesure où elle est en partie garante des institutions et des valeurs fondamentales qui sous-tendent sa création, et où elle favorise les jeux d’influence, l’établissement de rapports de force et les conflits. Cette tension n’affecte pas pour autant la valeur perçue par de nombreux acteurs des listes produites, et elle n’entame que partiellement les représentations de la capacité de l’institution à promouvoir la paix et la compréhension entre les peuples. / This research project is a socio-political analysis of the International Relations within an International Organization, levering the practical case of UNESCO in the context of the establishing World Heritage Lists. It suggests a theorization of the underlying process, by which numerous actors take part in the selection and subsequent publication of World Heritage Lists. In addition to providing individual states with the tools to achieve their national objectives, UNESCO seem to contribute to the establishment of universal values and cosmopolitan identities. The establishment processes of these Lists and their content appear increasingly influenced by the behavior of their actors (i.e., states and individuals). In that context, the role of UNESCO seems ambivalent. It serves both as (a) guarantor for the underlying fundamental values of the institutions and as a place of (b) political economy, in which influences are exchanged between actors that can lead to power struggles and even conflicts. However, this tension doesn’t seem to impact the perceived value of the Lists by most actors and appears to only partially impact the perception of the Organization’s capacity to promote peace-building and closer relationships between peoples.

Bam Citadel is a unique complex with some mediocre buildings in it. Construction started in the Achaemenid period (550–330 BC) and is still being completed and repaired up to the 21st century. Although the Bam region is located in south-western Iran in an active seismic zone, the City of Bam had not reported any major historical earthquake before 26th Dec. 2003. The massive earthquake that day killed or injured more than 37,000 people and most of the city collapsed. Bam Citadel became a unique adobe complex for the World Heritage community after this disaster. According to the surveys, the earthquake caused damage to about 23% of the ancient monuments close to and inside the Citadel. Most of the ruins were the parts that already added to the main body of work or were repaired during the last intervention of 1993. For this reason the technical method, used for the enhancing of the adobe building, is highlighted as the main task. There are four items which are very important for any seismic upgrading in heritage sites: seismology of the area, quality of the construction, function of the building and cultural values. A wide variety of intervention strategies and techniques have been considered for the repair and the seismic retrofitting of the adobe buildings in the Citadel. With respect to that point, the possible relationship between the cultural values and seismic upgrading are always polar opposites. Obviously the buildings in Bam Citadel have many problems, for example the geometry data are not available, there are large variability layers, construction sequence is unknown, existing damage in the structures is very serious, regulation and codes are non-applicable and so on. In fact in this research I am trying to adjust the stability and safety measures with values of the cultural heritage property as much as possible; on the other hand I am trying to optimize the strengthening methods to an acceptable amount of side affect on values. This PhD thesis focuses on the strategies and the techniques that have been applied to preserve the historical monuments and to evaluate the traditional and modern engineering methods that are used in conservation projects in Bam Citadel.

No description available.

Syftet med uppsatsen är att belysa vad som sker efter utnämnandet till världsarv av UNESCO, genom att se om och hur strategier för bevarande och utveckling förändrats sedan 1989 fram till idag. Fallstudien har utgått från Hansestaden Visby och behandlar främst världsarvets förvaltning samt de nationella och lokala skydd som finns, tillsammans med en överblick av hur utnämnandet av Visby som världsarvsstad gått till och hur det efterlevs i förhållande till dokumentation och planarbete. De teoretiska utgångspunkterna för arbetet har utgått från postmodernistisk planeringsteori och kollaborativ planering samt urbanteori den globala staden. Analyser har dragits utifrån det världsarvsarbete som utförts av UNESCO under nominerings- och antagningsprocessen till att bli världsarv, samt det lokala arbete som utförts av Länsstyrelsen och Gotlands kommun, senare Region Gotland. De båda delarna leder till en inblick av marknadsföringens betydelse för en ort och att de olika utvecklingsfaserna ibland kommer i skymundan då vissa tidsåldrar ses som viktigare än andra. För Visby har det skett under nomineringsprocessen till att bli världsarv. Ansökan som skickades till UNESCO 1994 innehålleren helhetsbild av vad som gör Visby så speciellt, denna beskrivning skalas sedan ner under processens gångför att till sist endast beröra den inverkan som Hansaförbundet har haft på Visby innerstad. / This thesis aims to give light to what happens after UNESCO has named an object as a World Heritage site.Through looking at if and how strategies for conservation and development have changed since 1989 until today. Focus of this thesis have been the Hanseatic Town of Visby, and the national and local laws and documentsthat control conservation and development. Through the theoretical lenses of postmodern and collaborativeplanning, together with urban marketing theory - the global city. Results have been made through analysing the heritage work that UNESCO have made during the nomination and inscription process to the World Heritage List, together with looking at the local county administrative boardand municipality’s documentation and spatial planning of the property. Both parts give a look in to and an understandingof how marketing a town changes the narrative of heritage. For Visby this is made apparent during the nomination process. The application to UNESCO 1994, states the historic development of Visby with differenttimes represented, this have then been deleted throughout the process, until the end when only the Hanseaticimpact is seen as important for the properties outstanding universal value. The results have also shown that Visby now is in a state of segregation with high house prices and few residentsinside the city wall. But if this is in correlation with the inscription to the World Heritage List, could not be clearly analysed.

This study sets out to explore the process of city planning through the design of an urban area in relation to a cultural world heritage. The purpose of this study is to get a deeper knowledge of the design process that planners and architects go through when developing urban areas in the city. As an architect student, I want to put the knowledge that I have gained during my education to the test and work with a project that is similar to what one will work with in the future. In my thesis I have worked with different approaches on the subjects of urban planning, city planning, landscape architecture and environmental behavior. The material used in this study is based on data from observations, interviews, literature studies and feedback from a reference group of architects. I have chosen to use my methods interdisciplinary to create a wider perspective when analyzing and designing an urban space.The result of my studies have culminated in a design proposal focused on creating sustainable social spaces with a connection to history, culture and art. / I det här kandidatarbetet utforskas processen för stadsplanering genom att utforma ett stadsområde i relation till ett kulturellt världsarv - Visby med dess ringmur. Syftet med denna studie är att få en djupare kunskap om den designprocess som planerare och arkitekter går igenom när de utvecklar tätorter i staden. Som arkitektstudent vill jag sätta de kunskaper, som jag fått under den här utbildningen, på prov. I mitt examensarbete har jag arbetat med olika tillvägagångssätt som Grounded Theory och Inquiry by Design, inom ämnena samhällsplanering, stadsplanering, landskapsarkitektur och miljöbeteende. Materialet som används i studien är baserat på data från observationer, intervjuer, litteraturstudier och handledning från en referensgrupp av arkitekter. Jag har valt att använda mina metoder tvärvetenskapligt för att få ett brett perspektiv när jag analyserar och utformar ett stadsrum. Resultatet av mina studier har utmynnat i ett designförslag med fokus på att skapa hållbara sociala rum med koppling till historia, kultur och konst.

This thesis is an ethnographic research of the cultural heritage conservation practices in İzmir, focusing particularly on the heritage site Historical Port City of İzmir’s conservation on individual, local, and global levels from an anthropological point of view. With its ongoing inscription process to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, the study aims, first, to understand the motivation behind this inscription, the current conservation practices in the city that are undergone by individual and local actors, and to analyze the impact and connection between the individual, local and global efforts to protect İzmir’s multicultural and multilayered heritage. Conducted during the 10-day long World Heritage Volunteers program “Heritage for the Future in the Historical Port City of İzmir” organized by the UNESCO World Heritage Education Program and Site Directorate of the Historical Port City of İzmir, the research employs the anthropological methods of participant observation, structured interviews, netnography, as well as multi-sensory ethnography. The study shows that the site’s WHL inscription is motivated by the desire to enhance the city’s further protection on different levels such as raising awareness, receiving financial help, and increasing its visibility to attract local, national, and international visitors and users. The same approach has also been observed within the current conservation practices conducted by local actors to preserve the multicultural values of the city and conserve its 8500 years of multilayered fabric that carries traces of Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Beylic, Ottoman, and Republican periods, stretching up to today. This short-term ethnographic research concludes that heritage conservation is a multi-level process where every level (individual, local, and global) and actor has an important role in the protection of the site’s integrity and the transmission of its values to future generations. Focusing on the current anthropological theories and studies on heritage and UNESCO, this case study of the Historical Port City of İzmir reflects that statement and points not only to the conservation of the city's past heritage but also to the fact that this cannot happen without addressing the city's contemporary needs such as sustainable development, cohesion, and the socio-economic prosperity of the city and its current inhabitants.

No description available.