Requirements for the Protection of the UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Afghanistan)

The international efforts to establish a management system for the UNESCO World Heritage Bamiyan in Afghanistan, where fundamentalist terrorists once destroyed the world’s largest Buddhist figures, are discussed. A Cultural Master Plan based on remote sensing methods is being used to create a comprehensive inventory of archaeological zones, traditional settlements, water systems, and historical cultural monuments, and to monitor the effectiveness of conservation measures and urban development decisions on landscape change. The case of Bamiyan exemplifies the increasing politicization of outstanding heritage sites around the world that are subject to ongoing conflict, targeted iconoclastic raids, and criminal looting, among dynamic urban development and limited resources for conservation, destroying such sites and landscapes. Lessons learned highlight the importance of careful planning and management of development activities as an integral part of heritage conservation in international relief efforts in crisis areas, especially for World Heritage cultural landscapes. In the context of reconstruction efforts, the management of cultural heritage needs to consider a broader context that considers the identity of the people, the participation, and the revitalization of the affected communities in addition to the long-term preservation of the physical substance. Such an expanded notion of heritage recognizes local communities’ aspirations for inclusive social and economic development considering Landscape Values as Human Values for reaching Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).