Cultural landscapes in Southeast Asia

Five UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Southeast Asia are recognized for their cultural landscape significance, highlighting the interplay between human ingenuity and ecological sustainability. These sites—Bali's Subak system, Vat Phou and its ancient settlements, the Philippines' rice terraces, Singapore Botanic Gardens, and Trang An landscape complex—demonstrate how traditional knowledge, ecosystem protection, and livelihood opportunities are crucial for their preservation. Unlike Borobudur, which relies on expert-led conservation, sites like the rice terraces depend on continuous community maintenance to survive. This underscores a broader need for integrating local practices with scientific conservation strategies to safeguard cultural landscapes, ensuring their enduring value.

Lin, R. C.-H., Unakul, M. H., & Chiba, M. (2023). Cultural landscapes in Southeast Asia. Routledge Handbook of Cultural Landscape Practice, 150–157. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315203119-16