Cultural heritage management within nature conservation areas : a heritage manager’s guide

Abstract

Cultural Heritage Management in South Africa today is still in its infancy as a field of study as well as in practice. There has not been much academic work produced on the subject, and this thesis hopes to contribute to this void. The focus of this thesis is the management of cultural heritage resources within nature conservation areas in particular. The cultural heritage resources to be found in nature conservation areas are often overlooked. However, nature conservation areas are an as yet untapped resource of cultural heritage that has been protected from the influence of man, as a result of the natural environment being preserved. Such cultural heritage resources could be of great interest to academics and researchers as untouched resources, still in their original context. However, one of the greatest benefits to come from conserving these cultural heritage resources is the unlimited tourism potential. Tourists travel in their thousands to the natural areas of South Africa without ever realising that there is history and culture to be found in these areas. The potential for educating visitors about this country’s cultural and historical heritage, in it’s original context, is enormous and would provide for an interesting tourism experience. However, it is not only foreigners or tourists who would benefit from the use of the cultural heritage in nature conservation areas but also the local communities. Increases in tourism would have obvious benefits for the surrounding communities, in the form of the money that the tourists would bring to the region. Also, such use of the cultural heritage in a nature conservation area could provide employment opportunities for the local communities, not to mention the educational opportunity of allowing the various cultures living in one area to learn about one another. A section of this thesis discusses the practical side of cultural heritage management within nature conservation areas, outlining a cultural heritage assessment procedure, which, it is hoped, will be of benefit to heritage managers in the field. The relevant legislation that needs to be referred to, as well as the various plans and policies that will be needed to be implemented are also discussed in some detail. It is trusted that this study can serve as a guide to cultural heritage management in nature conservation areas.