CULTURAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION IN RESOURCE-RICH TERRITORIES: CHALLENGES AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS
Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites, vol.63, no.4, pp.2811-2819, 2025 (Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 63 Issue: 4
- Publication Date: 2025
- Doi Number: 10.30892/gtg.634spl25-1640
- Journal Name: Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites
- Journal Indexes: Scopus, Geobase, Hospitality & Tourism Complete, Hospitality & Tourism Index, Directory of Open Access Journals
- Page Numbers: pp.2811-2819
- Keywords: adaptive reuse, Aktobe region, cultural heritage preservation, heritage governance, industrial landscape transformation, resource-rich territories, sustainable development
- Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection
- Bursa Uludag University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
The present article provides an interdisciplinary assessment of cultural heritage preservation in resource-rich territories, focusing on Kazakhstan's Aktobe Region as an emblematic case of the tensions and synergies between natural resource exploitation and heritage conservation. Despite the fact that Kazakhstan is home to over 25,000 registered cultural heritage sites, the protection of these sites is constrained by industrial pressures, insufficient institutional capacity, limited community engagement, and fragmented regulatory mechanisms. These challenges are particularly pronounced in regions with high concentrations of mining, oil, and gas activities. In such areas, technogenic transformations, landscape degradation, and environmental stressors have a detrimental effect on the integrity of archaeological, architectural, and museological assets. The study employs a systematic qualitative review based on PRISMA 2009/2020 guidelines. A total of 85 peer-reviewed sources published between 2000 and 2025 across heritage studies, geography, sustainability science, and environmental governance have been synthesised. A comparative analysis of international contexts demonstrates that developed countries are increasingly integrating adaptive reuse, heritage impact assessments, climate-risk adaptation, and participatory governance into heritage management systems. In contrast, post-Soviet states, including Kazakhstan, continue to encounter structural impediments such as legislative inconsistency, inadequate funding, and ineffective coordination between heritage authorities and extractive industries. The findings indicate that cultural heritage can function as a strategic catalyst for sustainable territorial development when integrated within governance models that combine legal protection, ESG-aligned corporate responsibility, community-based stewardship, and spatial planning. In the context of territories with abundant natural resources, achieving a balance between economic growth and heritage conservation is not merely a preservation task; rather, it is an essential prerequisite for ensuring long-term socio-ecological resilience and the formation of regional identity.