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UNDERSTANDING HERITAGE RESOURCES Natural resources gain value by being transformed, and lose value if left in its original state and location. BUT, both natural and cultural heritage resources lose value or become valueless if transformed, and gain value by being preserved or conserved in their natural or original state and location. Conventional resource development practice (mining, forestry, etc.) considers the resource a free good (or nearly so), and grants extraction rights to the developer. Many governments and developers expect the same concepts to apply to heritage resources. But this never works well. Applying conventional practice to heritage resources results in their destruction and loss as a resource with little of the potential value realized. Heritage resources are not a free good, and the developer should notexpect the right to extract them. Instead a partnership should develop in which the developer has no access to the resource except to provide an experience of the heritage in some form that does not erode or destroy the resource over time, even over very long periods of time. The government's responsibility is to plan and manage the reource so that it is maintained, protected and conserved so that the developer does not have that responsibility. The government and business create a partnership with the local community to maintain the culture and social stability so that the local governsance is stable, thus encouraging long-term investment and visitation. Conceptually, the management of heritage resources is simple.
Well governed, these leases are revocable if the developer abuses the nature of the heritage resource. The state asset is preserved and protected as a part of the agreement with the developer – part of the licensing fee is to pay for protection, preservation, and maintenance of the asset. In practice it is not so easy. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the context for management varies immensely. There is no simple or straightforward formula that will solve the problems in the entire area. Nor is there a simple formula to allow development to proceed without failures in any given country. However, here is where CND can help! Some general principles: TOURISM, EDUCATION, E-COMMERCE Three major types of development projects come from heritage resources; tourism, education, and e-commerce. Tourism Tourism takes an enormous number of forms, ranging from bird watching and extreme adventure sports to eco-tours and cultural voyages to see the architectural wonders of the world. The number of participants in any one group ranges from one on a personal adventure to over a thousand on a single cruise ship. On a world scale, tourism is probably the single largest industry in the world today. In a surprisingly large number of countries, it is the main or dominant industry. For Latin America and the Caribbean, the tourism potential has just begun. Education Education is another main industry derived from heritage resources. The information content that arises from heritage resources is the main base for understanding the roots of our identity and the origins of our civilization or even our biological origins. The resource itself is incredibly valuable, but on a world scale the demand for the information derived from it and transformed into useful content for everything from schools to television is nearly insatiable. Publishing houses, production facilities, designers, and a host of others routinely use this information on a daily basis. Creating knowledge in its basic form from research through its transformed stages of text books and interpretive writings to photography and art forms is a huge industry that can be tapped by development of heritage resources. E-Commerce The newest form of development surrounding heritage resources is through the Internet. At its simplest level, electronic brochures advertise the potential to visit these locations. Advertisers include the tourist industry carriers and hosts, countries hoping to increase visitation, and many others. The next most sophisticated users of heritage are those that sell products derived from the heritage. In some cases, this is an exploitative process with sales of rare butterflies, minerals, and shells from natural heritage areas. Often the animals are farmed, but perhaps even more often, they have been harvested from the wild. The sale of original artifacts has now become a part of the exploitative process as well, even though in most countries, although certainly not all, the export of archaeological artifacts is illegal. A more appropriate product is handicrafts and replicas from exotic areas (common in conventional stores) and these are now being sold on the Internet. But perhaps the most interesting development is the concept of allowing people to sit in their chairs at home and delve into the exotic worlds of the heritage that only their eyes can see. By placing video cameras in nests, in caves, under the water, and in tombs or sensitive architectural ruins, the viewer can see live what is present in those locations. This experience can be enhanced through providing a great deal of information with the images. But even more, the viewer knows that even if he or she went to these locations they would not be allowed to visit. So the viewpoint is unique. By subscription, the viewer can sometimes gain access to the videocam and actually control where it is pointed, or zoom to better watch the hatching of a rare penguin, or gain a better view of a wonderful ancient drawing on the rock face. Over time, and as the bandwidth of the Internet increases, the opportunities for further non-exploitative interactions with the heritage resources. One advantage of Internet development to provide vicarious experiences for the visitor, is that many of the factors required for long-term investment are no longer needed. This means that handled correctly, and with a minimum of investment risk ( few camcorders and some minor infrastructure), the first step in developing public awareness and caring can be taken even when there is political, social and financial instability in the country where the resource is located. Again, handled with care, these resources can remain in secret locations, so that until proper visitor infrastructure is developed the resource is unavailable any other way. From the perspective of development on a planned and strategic base, this concept has much to offer. In summary: Heritage resources are valued for their original nature. Heritage resources must be perceived to be "pristine" or "real." The development process, focusses on the experience of the heritage resource. Revenue is generated by creating support industries to allow this experience. A balance of participation, conservation of the heritage resource, and a good series of support industries can generate high levels of income indefinitely. Social Roles The role of tourism and the appreciation of the intrinsic values of cultural and natural heritage can play a significant part in building back losses of social role, and in reducing the marginal nature of many peoples. Social role valorization is a new field that recognizes the importance to society of re-gaining the societal status of people who have been marginalized for any number of reasons. Heritage resource development, especially in cultural heritage development, is best carried out by including the local communities, because they will provide a support system and through their belief in the project are likely to encourage its indefinite maintenance, especially if it helps them to gain or re-gain their sense of identity. Experience has shown that this process can raise people from a previously marginal existence to one of pride and status. Marginalized people in both urban and rural areas can and should be included in the heritage development projects. As was demonstrated in the Uruguayan example, even intangible heritage resources can be used to improve marginal situations beyond what conventional urban governance can achieve on its own. By contrast, heritage development managed improperly can both further marginalize and reduce the importance of peoples? social role. This is also amply demonstrated by some of the major developments that bring in all expertise and workers from afar, then isolate themselves in an enclave, often walled and guarded by armed security officers. HERITAGE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT Governance and Social Stability Encourage Sustainable Development Large business enterprises must be able to predict the factors that govern the flow of revenue before they will make long-term investments. Long-term investments are critically important to sustainable development practice. This is especially true of heritage resources, because managed correctly, the resource remains where it is within the country of origin. Furthermore, with the exception of vicarious industries such as e-commerce, the customer must come to the product, the developer cannot take the product to the consumer. Low risk investment based on well-known markets Consistent availability of the heritage resources Stable national governments that will honour commitments Stable social environments that are safe places to visit Given these factors, the investment community will make long-term investments, they are well aware of the advantages of sustainable investments. Without these factors in place, a predictable pattern of short term investment takes place. Unstable Governance and Social Systems Encourage Predatory Development Short-term investment are not good for heritage resources, and not good for local communities. Predatory development considers the heritage resource to be like a conventional resource. This produces networks of grave robbers, tomb looters, people who generate instant tours that invade pristine areas until something goes wrong, and adventure tours to locations that have just been discovered so that collectors can be part of the initial "discoveries" and take home artifacts through uncontrolled exploitation. This type of development is unsustainable, and removes the revenue from the country rather than investing so that the country can benefit from the use of the resource. Factors for short-term investments and marginalizing local people High-risk investment based on ephemeral markets One-time availability of removable heritage resources National government cycle unpredictable and potentially violent Social environments are relevant only during removal of the resource. Security measures can be taken. |
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