6.2 Cultural Heritage Preservation and Sustainable...
In 1982, the ICOMOS Charter for the Preservation of Quebec’s Heritage pointed out “We use the heritage of yesterday to build the heritage of tomorrow, for culture is by its very nature dynamic and is constantly being renewed and enriched.”[10]This indicated the significance of cultural sustainability in the heritage conservation field.But these heritage policy documents didn’t clearly mention sustainable development until 1994.This year, ‘Sustainable Use’ was mentioned in the UNESCO Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention.In 2005, Operational Guidelines further pointed out that heritage conservation and cultural diversity are the most important contributions towards the concept of sustainable development.In the same year, ICOMOS Xi’an Declaration highlighted that “Co-operation and engagement with associated and local communities is essential as part of developing sustainable strategies for the conservation and management of settings.”[11]Although the initial progression of international heritage protections was slow, however, it steadily developed into a more inclusive program.
In the 21st century, the concept of conservation and utilization of architectural heritage following a sustainable development strategy has become an important issue within international heritage policy implementation.International Heritage Organizations have held several global conferences which engaged with the topic of cultural heritage within the sustainable development process.In the international symposium Managing Change: Sustainable Approaches to the Conservation of the Built Environment in 2001, ICOMOS emphasized the significance of the sustainability of Heritage through: “Sustainability emphasizes the need for a long-term view.If conservation is to develop as a viable strategy, the economic dimension needs to be addressed, while at the local level community education and participation is central to sustaining conservation initiatives.”[12]In 2014, ICOMOS 18th General Assembly and Scientific Symposium Heritage and Landscape as a Human Value adopted a resolution to ensure that cultural heritage is acknowledged in the proposed goals and targets within The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).[13]In 2015, the UN set a 15-year plan, which addresses the most pressing issues the world is facing, to be achieved by 2030.The integration of cultural heritage into urban planning become an important method for the promotion of urban sustainability.In 2017, ICOMOS issued an Action Plan: Cultural Heritage and Localizing the SDGs for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Agenda at the national, regional and urban levels.(https://www.daowen.com)
It can be seen from the above international charters that the relationship between heritage preservation and its sustainable development are inseparable, which can interact and mutually reinforce with each other.On the one hand, cultural heritage is an important contribution to sustainable development.Well-preserved heritage “can make also an important instrumental contribution to sustainable development in its various dimensions.”[14]Meanwhile, “Heritage protection and conservation considers present and future environmental, societal and economic needs.”[15]On the other hand, sustainable development strategy is an essential condition, guaranteeing the preservation of the heritage, and helping to create the correct preservation and usage methods for promoting the cultural heritage sustainability.[16]