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Comparative analysis of responses to COVID-19 in UNESCO Landscapes and World Heritage sites from Southern Europe and America

Aida López-Urbaneja (Department of Geography, Prehistory and Archaeology, University of the Basque Country – Alava Campus, Vitoria Gasteiz, Spain)
Sergio Escribano-Ruiz (Department of Public Policy and Economic History, University of the Basque Country – Alava Campus, Vitoria Gasteiz, Spain)
Ainara Cortés-Avizanda (Department of Conservation Biology, Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, Madrid, Spain)
Álvaro Gutierrez Ilabaca (Department of Environmental Sciences and Renewable Natural Resources, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile)
Juan José Aramburu Lasa (Ekainberri, Arazi, Zestoa, Spain)
Mikel Garai Lopez (UN-Etxea, Bilbao, Spain)
Kepa Castro Ortiz de Pinedo (Department of Analytic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country - Leioa Campus, Leioa, Spain)
Alberto García Porras (Department of Medieval History and Historiographic Sciences and Techniques, University of Granada, Granada, Spain)
Agustin Azkarate Garai-Olaun (Department of Geography, Prehistory and Archaeology, University of the Basque Country – Alava Campus, Vitoria Gasteiz, Spain)

Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development

ISSN: 2044-1266

Article publication date: 9 August 2023

100

Abstract

Purpose

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, UNESCO Landscapes and World Heritage sites have faced unstable situations. Both at the sites themselves and in the research centres, universities and even the homes of the people involved, they have acted and responded to the best of their ability. In this context, the aim of the comparative analysis of different cases carried out here is to understand the main effects of the pandemic in the short term. On the one hand, the purpose is to determine what the general response trends have been and, on the other, to measure the resilience capacity in each case.

Design/methodology/approach

Up to eight cases studies representing different and diverse kinds of Heritage and Protected Natural sites from Southern Europe and America are compared.

Findings

In a context of uncertainty, new responses, unique opportunities and hitherto unseen weaknesses have arisen in research and management of natural and cultural heritage. In general terms, the dialogue between officials, technicians and researchers that have put together this article underlines the need to work towards a governance model that engages everyone in dialogue. Discrepancies between overlapping strategies and plans, which is the main conflict detected, should be avoided while a decentralisation of policies could be more operational. In this sense, situated knowledge may be of help in configuring practical management tools.

Originality/value

This paper compares and contrasts for first time the effects of the pandemic in Europe and Latin America. This exercise has provided a valuable diagnostic for present and future heritage management.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Since acceptance of this article, the following author(s) have updated their affiliation(s): Ainara Cortés-Vizanda is at the Department of Plant Biology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.

Citation

López-Urbaneja, A., Escribano-Ruiz, S., Cortés-Avizanda, A., Gutierrez Ilabaca, Á., Aramburu Lasa, J.J., Garai Lopez, M., Castro Ortiz de Pinedo, K., García Porras, A. and Azkarate Garai-Olaun, A. (2023), "Comparative analysis of responses to COVID-19 in UNESCO Landscapes and World Heritage sites from Southern Europe and America", Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCHMSD-06-2022-0092

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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