Urban Development and Conservation Dichotomy in Cambodian

Ref.: 117
Área temática: 04 Sin asignar
Fecha de recepción: 14/11/2008

AUTORES (* Autor principal)

Socheat Khemro, Beng Hong * - Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (Camboya)

EVALUACIÓN FINAL DEL COMITÉ CIENTÍFICO: Pendiente

ABSTRACT

Cambodia is rich in both cultural intangible and built heritage. However, these rich culture and tradition, especially in urban areas are in great threat of being completely disappear for good as the result of economic development if there is lack of effective development and management plan. It is not surprising and perhaps understandable, for a poor country like Cambodia to try to exhaust almost every thing it has to earn hard cash in the name of economic development. It is also true that Cambodia has vast potentials on other resources for development, but poor infrastructure and cash trap only allow Cambodia to throw most of its attention and effort to existing cities and towns for development which in turn put most of the existing heritage resources in the existing cities and towns in great pressure for being replaced with new development.
Tourism, at the current situation is one of Cambodia's leading industries. The potential for negative impacts to Cambodia's hard and soft cultural assets in the wake of dramatically increasing historic site tourism, cultural tourism and ecotourism (to name a few) is already at a dangerous level. At present situation, most benefits from cultural tourism goes to private investors leaving only meagre benefit to the local communities. If this situation continues the cultural resource utilisation is not sustainable because it creates resentment. As the result, locals are discouraged to protect and preserve their culture and tradition since they see little benefits of doing so.
The lack of cultural resource management knowledge and awareness among the wide population, government institutions and investors are also one of the most common features contributing to the diminishing of cultural assets in cities and towns in particular and in Cambodia as a whole. Many historical and cultural sites and buildings in cities are overexploited, poorly managed, have no management plan and are being in great pressure of being replaced by new non spirit or soul, but quite widely considered to be modern buildings, often pirated style from foreign countries. Relevant authorities and government ministries do not yet have adequate human resources and materials to effectively strike a balance between cultural conservation and development. Community involvement in cultural resource management has not yet been widely exploited or tried.
However, data on cultural resources could be collected and studied, which are widely available. This would help in defining appropriate strategy to make heritage resources to become a potential for development in a sustainable manner. In order to fulfil this task, all relevant government institutions, the wide public, international organisations, NGOs and other relevant stakeholders have to work together to not only making plan, but to fully commit to the implementation and enforcement of the plan. For its own part, the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, has tried in its limited capacity and ability technically and financially to establish various legal documents and mechanisms to contribute to the sustainable utilisation of heritage resources for development. International communities should provide help and assistance to the Cambodian government on urban heritage conservation since they have until present time given attention only on temples and almost nothing on urban heritage.

BIBLIOGRAFÍA