The Environment and Cultural Heritage

This chapter focuses on the legal links between the conservation of cultural and natural heritage at international and regional levels. The chapter canvasses a number of ‘soft law’ instruments prepared by various international bodies that demonstrate the close links between the cultural and the natural heritage. Within international law, a number of multilateral environmental agreements are then examined to illustrate the inherent links between the cultural heritage and the natural environment. The issue of indigenous heritage is also a central consideration. The chapter argues that, in recognition of the relationship between culture and nature, a more unified approach is required to the implementation of the various instruments.