This open access book identifies various forms of heritage destruction and analyses their
causes. It proposes strategies for avoiding and solving conflicts based on integrating
heritage into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It reflects on the identity-building
role of heritage on multidimensional conflicts and the destruction of heritage and considers
conflict-solving strategies and future perspectives. Furthermore it engages theoretically and
practically with the concepts of responsibility reconciliation and sustainability relating
mainly to four Sustainable Development Goals i.e. SDGs 4 (education) 11 (e.g. World Heritage)
13 (climate action) and 17 (partnerships for the goals). More than 160 countries have inscribed
properties on the UNESCO World Heritage list since the World Heritage Convention came into
force. Improvements in the implementation of the Convention such as the Global Strategy for a
Representative Balanced and Credible World Heritage List have occurred but other conflicts
have not been solved. The book advocates for a balanced distribution of properties and more
effective strategies to represent the global diversity of cultural and natural heritage.
Furthermore it highlights the importance of heritage in identity building.
