“The park is the people”: World heritage as antipolitical and neocolonial environmental governance in mulu park, Malaysia

Gunung Mulu National Park exemplifies the neocolonial and antipolitical dimensions of global conservation governance. The study reveals how the World Heritage Convention, through its technical and scientific frameworks, prioritizes nature for global enjoyment while marginalizing Indigenous voices and displacing local communities. By analyzing site selection processes in Mulu Park, Malaysia, researchers demonstrate how these practices normalize 'global' values, often facilitated by international non-governmental organizations (BINGOs), thereby perpetuating land grabs and cultural displacement without meaningful local participation.

DeLoach, H., & Trauger, A. (2026). “The park is the people”: World heritage as antipolitical and neocolonial environmental governance in mulu park, Malaysia. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space. https://doi.org/10.1177/25148486261444551