African Heritage Conservation in the Age of Development: A Regional Approach to Impact Assessments
In an era of rapid urbanization, infrastructure development, and tourism growth, World Heritage properties across Africa face unprecedented challenges in protecting and managing their outstanding values. The inherent demand for socio-economic transformation often places immense pressure on these heritage properties, highlighting the urgent need harmonize economic growth and heritage protection for sustainable development.
In response to these pressing challenges, the Strategy for World Heritage in Africa, aligned with UNESCO’s Global Priority Africa is designed to empower African States Parties to adopt best conservation practices as a catalyst for sustainable development. To advance this goal, and with the support of the Kingdom of Netherlands and the Government of Norway, UNESCO, in collaboration with its Advisory Bodies ICCROM and IUCN, and in close coordination with the State Party of Malawi, organized a training on Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA), from 10 to 21 February 2025, at the Lake Malawi National Park World Heritage site, a property renowned for its rich biodiversity and historical significance. The training aimed to enhance the technical expertise of national and regional stakeholders in international standards for undertaking heritage impact assessments amid pressing development demands.
© Aaron Khombe/Malawi Department of National Museums and Monuments
The training brought together 32 participants from across southern Africa, including heritage professionals, government officials, environmental specialists, planning agencies, and local councils alongside regional authorities responsible for water, roads, tourism, and environmental assessments from Malawi and other member states including, Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls, Zambia and Zimbabwe, Okavango Delta, Botswana, and Maloti-Drakensberg Park, Lesotho and South Africa, and the United Republic of Tanzania. It was structured around a dynamic blend of lectures, interactive discussions, field visits, and group exercises, providing participants with a hands-on learning experience, focusing on international best practices, assessment methodologies, and case studies.
© UNESCO/Esnath Mwaka
Beyond capacity building, the training fostered a transformative shift in perspective, reinforcing the urgent need for policy reforms that institutionalize heritage into national impact assessment systems. The training also served as a platform for collaboration, establishing a network of empowered heritage professionals dedicated to championing sustainable conservation policies and practices across the region, ensuring that Africa’s World Heritage properties can continue to thrive for generations to come.