How to Incorporate Cultural Values and Heritage in Maritime Spatial Planning: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Understanding aspects of maritime/underwater cultural heritage (MUCH) and the associated cultural values and integrating them into maritime spatial planning (MSP) processes is a new global challenge alongside the rapid increase in human activities at sea and climate change impacts on the seas and the oceans. This article highlights the significance of cultural values in shaping human interactions with marine environments and how MSP can address the cultural dimensions of marine resources management. The key research question addresses the prerequisites and methods for a better incorporation of MUCH in the MSP processes. This review revealed a diversity of literature addressing the inclusion of MUCH in (a) coastal and marine management but also in (b) marine/maritime spatial planning (346 articles from the Scopus database). In the first case, there is a strong focus on cultural ecosystem services (CES) and cultural values, the role of indigenous and local communities, the transfer of traditional ecological knowledge, and participatory approaches and tools. As for the latter, this review demonstrated quite a lot of relatively recent MSP endeavors that seem to be influenced by the above approaches identified in the coastal and marine management literature. This article concludes that for MSPlans to be innovative and mainly acceptable by local communities, the “missing layer” of socio-cultural values and data is indispensable. Furthermore, a collaborative MSP between governments and regional/provincial authorities may boost sustainable blue activities while preserving ecological and cultural values.

Mapping and Assessing Cultural Ecosystem Services to Inform Maritime Spatial Planning: A Systematic Review

“…On the other hand, purely understood MSPaiming to allocate space in the marine environment for various uses while minimizing conflicts and promoting synergies-seems to progressively acknowledge CES. Its role in enriching human well-being and sustaining community resilience is often highlighted in the context of MSP [44,45].…”

Field Studies in Heritage Education: Assessing Impact on Tourism and Sustainability at Bujang Valley, Kedah, Malaysia

“…They claim that this method also fosters positive social skills such as leadership flair, communication ability, the ability to learn to trust others, and the ability to resolve conflicts wisely. It can boost academic performance and train students to be more self-assured [15,16]. The same issue is also addressed in the 21st-century educational method, and, thus, this study will attempt to determine its effectiveness in the subject of history.…”