Heritage and Development: Lessons from Cambodia

A key insight from the Koh Ker temple complex in Cambodia reveals that sustainable heritage management, combined with local education initiatives, can effectively mitigate the destruction of cultural assets driven by extreme poverty. The study highlights how Heritage Watch's intervention at Koh Ker, focusing on community engagement and sustainable use of heritage, not only preserved the site but also provided a model for future projects. This approach has since been successfully applied to another Cambodian site, Banteay Chhmar. The research underscores the importance of integrating local communities into preservation efforts to address both economic hardships and cultural loss.

O’Reilly, D. J. W. (2014). Heritage and Development: Lessons from Cambodia. Public Archaeology, 13(1-3), 200–212. https://doi.org/10.1179/1465518714z.00000000071