Looting And Decay: How The Pandemic Wrought Real Damage To African Heritage

The Covid-19 pandemic, the lockdowns it imposed and the millions it stole will be remembered for a long time, especially by older people. It has hit world heritage sites in a subtle but serious way, according to UNESCO's latest report.

World Heritage sites in some regions have suffered significant economic damage from the epidemic, and areas in Africa have taken the brunt of the problem, according to a new study. In By 2021, 52 percent of Africa's World Heritage sites reported Covid-related threats, looting and insufficient material to repair the sites. In comparison, 34 percent of properties in Asia Pacific reported similar issues, compared to just 15 percent of locations in Europe and North America.

The security income will be reduced

These effects are mainly caused by a significant drop in tourism revenue. Many African countries are heavily dependent on this sector, with tourism accounting for 10-20% of GDP in Botswana, Gambia and Namibia and more than 20% in Cape Verde and Seychelles.

In 2020, international tourist arrivals fell 97% from 2019, and in 2021 they were still 73% below pre-pandemic levels. In the worst-case scenario, Africa's travel and tourism industry lost $85.9 billion and 5.8 million jobs.

After international travel was stopped, the stations had to cope with significant job cuts and a large number of temporary workers. Government aid, which covers most of the cost of site management, staffing, maintenance and storage, has fallen to 44% of African World Heritage sites subsidized. Only 8% have increased subsidies.

Plundered Resources

An increase in World Heritage-related looting during the disease's prohibitions. In Africa, one of the continent's oldest cities, Jene-Jenon in Mali, BC 250, suffered greatly from illegal excavations and looting of statues and other artifacts.

The logic is simple: the loss of income during the pandemic worsened the situation of people already living in poverty. Although this did not directly affect cultural values, many lost their income; Some of them started robbing to earn a living. In such cases, the epidemic has become a central factor in the complex impact on cultural heritage.

The risk of robbery and trafficking of cultural property has been found to have increased significantly during the outbreak. In March and April 2020, according to the Antiquities Traffic and Heritage Anthropology Research Project, "the illegal online trade in stolen antiques increased dramatically." Inadequately protected archaeological sites are easy targets for looting or other illegal access. The Antiquities and Antiquities Anthropology Research Project (ALTHAR), which oversees Facebook groups, has seen many hundreds of thousands of new members join during the pandemic, many serving as marketplaces for looted cultural artifacts.

In addition to looted cultural heritage sites, the Covid-19 pandemic has also threatened the world heritage sites themselves. For example, in the Konso Highlands of southern Ethiopia, the ban on preserving the Konso cultural landscape has disrupted 400 years of social and cultural order. The terraced fields not only represent a central cultural heritage, but also an infrastructure to protect the soil from erosion and to collect the water necessary for agriculture. Before the epidemic, tourism was the main source of income and afterwards the only support.

The sharp decline in tourism has worsened the financial situation of the people. Due to the increase in the price of building materials during the epidemic, local residents began using the stepping stones for construction. Insecurity in the area has worsened, allowing for looting.

The (improper) use of stepping stones to build houses in the Konso Mountains is a major threat to cultural heritage protection during crises like the Covid-19 pandemic. It is worth remembering the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage: All signatory States "have the primary responsibility for the identification, protection and preservation of the cultural and natural heritage" (Article 4).

How to prevent this in the future

The severe damage caused to tangible and intangible cultural heritage by the pandemic has highlighted the fragility of world heritage, particularly in the countries of the South. A more sustainable approach is needed to build the resilience needed to deal with health crises, conflict and natural disasters caused by climate change.

First, existing international political and legal instruments need to be strengthened. Governments currently rely on various legal measures to protect World Heritage sites. In 2017, the UN Security Council unequivocally condemned the looting and smuggling of cultural property from Iraq and Syria during the armed conflict. About half a century ago It was enacted in 1970 and prohibits the import, export and transfer of ownership of UNESCO cultural property.

Currently, 32 countries in the African region are parties to the 1970 Convention, which binds all parties and obliges them to comply with established legal norms. However, its effectiveness depends heavily on its implementation and implementation at the local level. The implementation of national laws and enforcement structures varies greatly from country to country. However, efforts have been made to strengthen and harmonize cultural policies in the African region in order to better protect Africa's cultural values.

Although states have a legal obligation to preserve and protect the cultural heritage of their people, governments do not fully meet their obligations in times of crisis. To fill the gap, international aid programs and private initiatives have joined forces to support World Heritage. The African Heritage Initiative of the German Commission for UNESCO (DUK) supported 34 projects in 22 African countries with up to 25,000 euros in 2020/2021. However, we need to ensure more sustained public support for sites rather than relying on immediate action.

As previously stated, the Covid-19 pandemic has had many adverse impacts on cultural heritage. Although primarily a health issue, the epidemic caused significant damage to cultural heritage. During an epidemic, we can monitor the nature of the epidemic and its social and economic consequences. Neglect of World Heritage sites, decline and disappearance of tourism or looting in various forms.

50th Anniversary of the World Heritage Convention (16 November 2022). World heritage as a source of resilience, humanity and creativity.