The Protected Landscape Approach - Centre for Mediterranean ...

3. World Heritage Cultural Landscapes: a global perspective
organically evolved landscapes which can be either relict landscapes or continuing
landscapes. This type of landscape results from an initial social, economic, admin istrative
and/or religious imperative and has developed its present form by association with and in
response to its natural environment. Such landscapes reflect that process of evolution in
their form and component features. These include a number of agricultural landscapes
ranging from the tobacco landscape of Viñales Valley in Cuba, the Rice Terraces of the
Philippine Cordilleras or the Puszta pastoral landscape of Hortobagy National Park in
Hungary; and
associative cultural landscapes. The inclusion of such landscapes on the World
Heritage List is justifiable by virtue of the powerful religious, artistic or cultural associ -
ations of the natural element rather than material cultural evidence, which may be
insignificant or even absent. This type is exemplified by Uluru Kata Tjuta in Australia,
Sukur in Nigeria and Tongariro National Park in New Zealand.
Many cultural landscapes – 36 from all regions of the world, as of 2003 – have been
nominated and inscribed on the World Heritage List since the 1992 landmark decision (see
Appendix 6 for a list). Cultural landscapes are inscribed on the World Heritage List on the basis
The Lednice Valtice World
Heritage Site (Czech Republic) is
an example of a cultural landscape
designed and created intentionally
by people. Jessica Brown
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