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Heritage and Sustainability: Keys to the Management and Valorization of...
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Heritage and Sustainability: Keys to the Management and Valorization of Natural Resources

A special issue of Heritage (ISSN 2571-9408).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 12613

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. María de la Cruz del Río-Rama

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Business Management and Marketing Department, Faculty of Business Sciences and Tourism, University of Vigo, 32004 Ourense, Spain
Interests: business; finance and tourism; heritage; resource and service management; sustainable rural de-velopment; natural and cultural resources; water resources management; agricultural resources management; land resources management; financial economics; accounting and management; sustainability; entrepreneurship; innovation; quality and environmental management system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. José Álvarez-García

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Economía Financiera y Contabilidad, Instituto Universitario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Territorial Sostenible (INTERRA), Universidad de Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain
Interests: business, finance and tourism; heritage, resource and service management; sustainable rural development; natural and cultural resources; water resources management; agricultural resources management; land resources management; financial economics; accounting and management; sustainability; entrepreneurship; innovation, quality and environmental management systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The preservation and enhancement of cultural heritage is fundamental to sustainable development and the strengthening of community identity. This Special Issue seeks to contribute to the understanding and dissemination of practices that integrate heritage conservation with sustainability and community well-being. Authors are invited to submit original papers exploring the following themes:

1. Cultural Heritage and Renewable Natural Resources:

  • The integration of traditional and modern practices in natural resource management;
  • Success stories in the conservation of cultural landscapes;
  • The role of renewable energies in the conservation of cultural and natural heritage.

2. Tourism and Cultural Heritage:

  • Sustainable tourism strategies that promote and enhance local cultural heritage;
  • Impacts of tourism on the conservation and management of heritage sites;
  • Experiences of ecotourism and community-based tourism as tools for the conservation and dissemination of cultural heritage.

3. Agriculture and Cultural Heritage:

  • The value of traditional agricultural practices in the conservation of cultural heritage;
  • Organic farming as a model of sustainability and cultural conservation;
  • Community projects combining agriculture and heritage conservation.

4. Forest Resources and Cultural Heritage:

  • The relevance of sacred forests and their link to local culture;
  • Sustainable forest management and its influence on the conservation of cultural heritage;
  • The traditional use of forest resources in handicrafts and heritage building.

5. Climate Change and Cultural Heritage Resilience:

  • Impacts of climate change on cultural sites and practices;
  • Strategies to increase the resilience of heritage to natural disasters;
  • The adaptation of traditional practices to mitigate the effects of climate change.

6. Emerging Issues in Heritage and Sustainability.

  • Authors are invited to propose related research that is not explicitly included in the above themes but that addresses innovative or complementary aspects of the relationship between cultural heritage, natural resources, sustainability and community development.

Papers are encouraged to include case studies, public policy analysis, literature reviews and innovative proposals to strengthen the relationship between heritage, natural resources and sustainable development. We look forward to receiving research that offers innovative and practical perspectives for a more sustainable and culturally aware future.

Prof. Dr. María de la Cruz del Río-Rama
Prof. Dr. José Álvarez-García
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cultural heritage
  • sustainability
  • natural resources
  • sustainable tourism
  • traditional agriculture
  • forest management
  • renewable energies
  • heritage conservation
  • community development
  • ecotourism

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 2862 KB  
Article
Puruhá Symbols on Guano Rugs: A Semiotic Approach to Cultural Continuity
by Claudia Patricia Maldonado-Erazo, Christiam Paul Aguirre-Merino, María de la Cruz del Río-Rama and José Álvarez-García
Heritage 2026, 9(5), 167; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage9050167 - 29 Apr 2026
Viewed by 424
Abstract
The town of Guano, located in the province of Chimborazo, Ecuador, is a canton renowned for its concentration of cultural expressions related to traditional artisanal techniques, such as the production of garments and leather goods, tanning, textile weaving, products made from cabuya or [...] Read more.
The town of Guano, located in the province of Chimborazo, Ecuador, is a canton renowned for its concentration of cultural expressions related to traditional artisanal techniques, such as the production of garments and leather goods, tanning, textile weaving, products made from cabuya or totora reeds, and knotted rugs. These artisanal practices are embedded in a long-standing historical and symbolic framework, linked to processes of cultural transmission and identity reinterpretation. Furthermore, Guano has been a pivotal site in Ecuadorian archaeological history thanks to the studies of Jacinto Jijón y Caamaño (1927), who identified six cultural phases of the Puruhá culture through ceramic and stratigraphic analysis. The province has earned recognition as the “Cradle of Ecuadorian Nationality” due to its valuable archaeological heritage. However, much of the interpretation of this legacy has been constructed from colonial-era archaeological approaches, which have limited the understanding of the Puruhá worldview and generated interpretive shifts in the cultural attribution of its iconography. This research analyzes, from a semiotic and decolonial perspective, the semiotic codes present in the iconography of the Puruhá culture, observable in archaeological ceramic pieces and their reinterpretation in the Guano rugs, understood as living cultural artifacts. The analysis of the denotative and connotative levels of the graphic motifs integrates the iconographic study, Andean fractal design, and the examination of contemporary artisanal discourses. The results demonstrate the existence of a structured symbolic system, based on principles of duality, complementarity, cyclicality, and the tripartite division of the cosmos, as well as the persistence of patterns such as spirals and zoomorphic figures in current textile production. The study identifies that, despite this symbolic continuity, those who possess this knowledge often attribute these symbols to external cultural frameworks, primarily the Inca culture, which limits their potential as a resource for identity, culture, and tourism. In this sense, the research provides a situated and non-hegemonic interpretive framework that contributes to the cultural reinterpretation of the Guano knotted carpets, offering input for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, strengthening local identity, and designing sustainable cultural interpretation strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heritage and Sustainability: Keys to the Management and Valorization of Natural Resources)
30 pages, 17000 KB  
Article
Solar Technology and Heritage Conservation in the Andes: Feasibility of Using Handcrafted Photovoltaic Roof Tiles in the Historic Center of Cuenca, Ecuador
by Paul Yuquilima-Heras and Juan-Carlos Cobos-Torres
Heritage 2025, 8(11), 454; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8110454 - 30 Oct 2025
Viewed by 881
Abstract
Integrating renewable energy into heritage buildings poses technical, aesthetic, and regulatory challenges, especially in Andean cities with a rich historical legacy, such as Cuenca, Ecuador. This study addresses the design and implementation of a prototype for handcrafted photovoltaic roof tiles that comply with [...] Read more.
Integrating renewable energy into heritage buildings poses technical, aesthetic, and regulatory challenges, especially in Andean cities with a rich historical legacy, such as Cuenca, Ecuador. This study addresses the design and implementation of a prototype for handcrafted photovoltaic roof tiles that comply with the conservation regulations of the Historic Center. The proposed solution is sustainable, visually unobtrusive, and suitable for heritage urban environments. A technical assessment was conducted for 23 educational institutions located in the Historic Center to evaluate the structural suitability of their roofs for solar panel installation. Based on this assessment, a photovoltaic roof tile prototype was developed using accessible materials, such as terracotta-tinted acrylic, and evaluated in terms of energy efficiency, architectural integration, and regulatory compliance. As a result, 12 buildings were found to be structurally suitable for system installation, of which 11 had sufficient roof space to meet their daytime energy demands. The prototype proved to be functional, replicable, aesthetically harmonious with the heritage setting, and fully compliant with current municipal regulations. The School of Law at the Catholic University of Cuenca was selected as a demonstration site due to its technical suitability and heritage significance. Thus, handcrafted photovoltaic roof tiles emerge as an innovative and viable solution for incorporating solar energy into protected urban settings, offering environmental, technical, and social benefits. Lastly, this study outlines future research pathways aimed at developing new materials, advancing energy storage strategies, and exploring community perceptions in heritage environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heritage and Sustainability: Keys to the Management and Valorization of Natural Resources)
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25 pages, 6965 KB  
Article
Exploring the Spatial Distribution of Toponyms and Its Correlation with Landscape Characteristics: A Case Study in Wuhan, China
by Zihang Zhou, Bidan Yin, Menglin Huang, Xianjie Pan and Diechuan Yang
Heritage 2025, 8(6), 213; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8060213 - 6 Jun 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2596
Abstract
Toponyms reflect the multifaceted relationship between humans and nature, recording and transmitting important cultural information. A toponymic cultural landscape (TCL) is the comprehensive embodiment of the cultural connotations and landscape significance carried by toponyms, reflecting various factors such as regional culture, historical memory, [...] Read more.
Toponyms reflect the multifaceted relationship between humans and nature, recording and transmitting important cultural information. A toponymic cultural landscape (TCL) is the comprehensive embodiment of the cultural connotations and landscape significance carried by toponyms, reflecting various factors such as regional culture, historical memory, and social values. Wuhan, as the hinterland of Jing-Chu culture, carries a profound geo-culture and brings together numerous toponymic cultural heritages. Studying the spatial distribution characteristics of Wuhan’s toponymic cultural heritage and their association with landscape elements is of great significance in promoting the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage and realizing the orderly continuation of local culture, and it also confers deeper cultural connotations and local characteristics to the process of landscape characterization. This study analyzes 3638 toponyms in Wuhan as the research objects, utilizing geospatial analysis methods, including kernel density analysis, standard deviation ellipse analysis, and average nearest neighbor analysis, to visualize the spatial distribution of Wuhan’s TCL. It further combines these methods with the optimal parameter geographic detector (OPGD) model to explore the influence of landscape elements on the spatial distribution of different types of toponyms and their interaction effects. The results show the following: (1) The TCL of Wuhan is divided into two basic types, the natural landscape (61.16%) and the humanistic landscape (41.37%), of which hydrological-related toponyms occupy a significant proportion, reaching 35.02% of the total number of toponyms in Wuhan. (2) The distribution of Wuhan’s TCL is characterized by aggregation, mostly in the core area of the city, with the Yangtze River as the main axis, and the density of the spatial distribution of humanistic landscape toponyms varies greatly. (3) The results of a single-factor analysis show that construction land (X2) is an important influencing factor in both natural and humanistic landscape toponyms, which indicates the central role of human activities in the formation of toponyms. (4) The explanatory power of the interaction effect of two factors on the spatial differentiation of Wuhan’s TCL is stronger than that of the single factors, which suggests that the spatial differentiation characteristics of the TCL of Wuhan are formed under the joint influence of the respective variables. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heritage and Sustainability: Keys to the Management and Valorization of Natural Resources)
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19 pages, 3265 KB  
Article
From Heritage to High-Tech: The Impact of Technology on Camels in the United Arab Emirates
by Robert M. Bridi and Adriaan De Man
Heritage 2025, 8(5), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8050165 - 7 May 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6224
Abstract
The authors examine the transformative impact of technological advancements on the customary traditions associated with camels in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with Emirati camel owners/breeders, focusing on the effects of innovations in breeding, racing, beauty contests, and [...] Read more.
The authors examine the transformative impact of technological advancements on the customary traditions associated with camels in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with Emirati camel owners/breeders, focusing on the effects of innovations in breeding, racing, beauty contests, and heritage preservation. The findings reveal that genetic technologies have reshaped camel husbandry by enhancing desirable traits, while introducing commercialization. In camel racing, robotic jockeys, biometric monitoring, and GPS tracking have revolutionized training and competition, making the sport a highly regulated, technology-driven industry. Similarly, camel beauty contests have been influenced by genetic selection, aesthetic standards, and controversial cosmetic enhancements. While these advancements have increased the economic value of camels, they have also altered traditional perceptions, raising concerns about the commodification of Emirati heritage. Additionally, online platforms and digital tools have facilitated the global promotion of camels, fostering connections between owners/breeders and enthusiasts, while introducing new modes of engagement. The study demonstrates how technological progress both preserves and challenges the customary traditions associated with camels, offering insights into the intersection of modernization and cultural heritage in the UAE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heritage and Sustainability: Keys to the Management and Valorization of Natural Resources)
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