Connecting Practice Phase II Final Report 1 Connecting Practice Project Phase II Final Report TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................................2 2. Summary of project activities ...................................................................................................................5 3. Good practices and lessons learned from project implementation ........ 8 4. Achievement of project objectives and goals for a potential third phase of Connecting Practice ......................................................21 ANNEXES: 1. Report of the meeting on EoH held in Finland ................................................................ 25 2. Report summarising all EoH activities .........................................................................................39 3. Fieldwork Report of Hortobágy (Hungary) ............................................................................ 52 4. Fieldwork Report of Maloti-Drakensberg (South Africa/Lesotho) ..........105 5. List of participants .............................................................................................................................................. 176 Lead Author: Leticia Leitão Additional Authors: Leanna Wigboldus, Gwenaëlle Bourdin and Tim Badman Cover photos: The mountains of Drakensberg A hut in Hortobágy ©2016 Letícia Leitão ©2016 Letícia Leitão Rock Art Nora Mitchell examining the landscape ©2017 Aron Mazel ©2016 Zsuzsa Tolnay Capturing images in Game Pass, South Africa Animals grazing in Hortobágy ©2016 Letícia Leitão ©2016 Gabor Szilagyi 2 Connecting Practice Project Phase II Final Report 1. Introduction Following the successful model of the first phase of the Connecting Practice Project, IUCN and ICOMOS are delighted to share the results of the second phase of the Project. There is growing evidence that the ‘divide’ often observed between natural and cultural heritage is slowly but steadily closing. When we launched the project in 2013, Connecting Practice was one of the few international initiatives addressing this challenge. Since then, we have seen similar efforts spread all over the world. The Nature-Culture Journey, a subtheme co-sponsored by IUCN and ICOMOS at the IUCN World Conservation Congress (held in Hawai’i, United States in September 2016), featured over forty sessions focused on sharing experiences from all over the world as to how professionals and organisations are working towards defining new methods for a connected approach between natural and cultural heritage. Later this year, the Scientific Symposium that will take place during the 19th ICOMOS General Assembly, to be held in Delhi, India, in December, will also include a Culture-Nature Journey as one of its subthemes. This report presents the results achieved, lessons learned and the challenges encountered in implementing the second phase of the project, which again received enormous interest from the heritage community. ‘Connecting Practice’ has become almost a brand in its own right, raising expectations of what could be achieved, but also posing the challenge of what it is possible to deliver. It has become a platform for innovation and the testing of new ideas, which can be used and sustained as a catalyst for change in other areas of the World Heritage system. IUCN and ICOMOS are very grateful for The Christensen Fund’s continuous support, which has enabled the implementation of the key activities of the project. We would also like to thank the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) for providing additional financial and technical resources at crucial moments of the project, and the significant in-kind support to the project through the efforts of site managers and stakeholders in Switzerland, Finland, South Africa, Lesotho and Hungary who participated so actively in the project activities, and whose work is the foundation of the results in this report. 3 Connecting Practice Project Phase II Final Report 1.1 Overview of the Connecting Practice Project and objectives of the second phase The Connecting Practice project aims to explore, learn and create new methods of recognition and support for the interconnected character of the natural, cultural and social value of highly significant land and seascapes and affiliated biocultural practices. The project is a joint initiative between IUCN (the International Union for Conservation of Nature) and ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), providing the opportunity for influencing a shift in conceptual and practical arrangements for the consideration of culture and nature within the implementation of the World Heritage Convention. Following the successful model of the first phase of Connecting Practice, this second phase translated lessons learned into practical interventions by: a. exploring, defining and adapting management effectiveness methodologies that apply to both cultural and natural sites and recognize the interconnected biocultural character of their natural, cultural and social values; and b. strengthening policy frameworks and management arrangements for the protection of highly significant landscapes and seascapes that will achieve a more genuinely integrated consideration of natural and cultural heritage. At the same time, by influencing a larger discussion and collaboration of IUCN, ICOMOS and a range of partners – in particular via joint activities and presentations in international forums – the project helped raise awareness that natural and cultural heritage are closely interconnected in most landscapes and seascapes, and that effective and lasting conservation of such places depends on better integration of philosophies and procedures regarding their governance and management. Rock art Examining the property’s boundaries Herding sheep ©2017 Aron Mazel ©2016 Zsuzsa Tolnay ©2016 Letícia Leitão 4 Connecting Practice Project Phase II Final Report 1.2 How lessons learned from the first phase influenced the project design of the second phase In the final report of the first phase of the project, IUCN and ICOMOS noted three areas where work could be done differently if the project were to continue: first, to have more time and resources to prepare for the fieldwork; second, to have longer site visits and planning timelines; and third, to provide more support to the State Party partners involved in the work, and over a longer period of time to ensure that the work has tangible benefit to the sites themselves. Lessons learned in relation to these areas deeply influenced how the second phase of the project was designed. Instead of using three case studies, as was the case in the first phase of the project, IUCN and ICOMOS decided to work with only two case studies in the second phase to allow more direct Discussions in the field, Hortobágy ©2016 Zsuzsa Tolnay Hortobágy landscape Drakensberg mountains ©2016 Goran Gugic ©2016 Letícia Leitão Meeting with stakeholders, Lesotho involvement with the selected sites, permitting two fieldwork visits per ©2017 Aron Mazel site. The case studies selected were the Hortobágy National Park – the Puszta (Hungary), and the Maloti-Drakensburg Park (South Africa/Lesotho). In addition, IUCN and ICOMOS sought to provide more support to the hosting countries in order to ensure that fieldwork could be of tangible benefit to the sites themselves instead of only being useful for the ‘take-away’ learning outcomes. Towards this goal, site managers of the case studies identified and selected a management challenge to be explored in each of the fieldwork visits, which was then included as part of the Terms of Reference for the visits. 5 Connecting Practice Project Phase II Final Report IUCN and ICOMOS also aimed to translate any conceptual shifts resulting from the project into practical arrangements that could result in more effective conservation outcomes. For this reason, the second phase of the project was designed around a strong management element, and its main objectives reflected this. Fieldwork remained as the key component of the project and, as in the first phase, was structured as a learning exercise. However, this time, in addition to gathering a better understanding of the interconnected character of the natural, cultural and social values of the properties used as case studies, IUCN and ICOMOS explored how such an understanding could help strengthen policy frameworks and management arrangements. IUCN and ICOMOS also confirmed the need for practical strategies in order to deliver an interconnected approach to natural and cultural heritage within the implementation of the World Heritage Convention. This would include adapting existing tools and guidance that currently promote different approaches to natural and cultural heritage, and encouraging a common approach to all World Heritage properties. While developing a single resource manual for management of World Heritage properties remains a long-term goal, IUCN and ICOMOS decided to first focus on adapting existing management effectiveness methodologies, in particular the Enhancing Our Heritage (EpH) Toolkit (UNESCO, 2008). Management effectiveness is a well- established discipline in nature conservation, but the cultural heritage field has yet to adopt a standardised practice or framework for carrying out similar assessments. For years, this has been considered one of the key priorities for joint work. Therefore, taking advantage of Connecting