Asian Sacred Natural Sites ─ Philosophy and Practice in Protected Areas and Conservation

Nature conservation planning tends to be driven by models based on Western norms and science, but these may not represent the cultural, philosophical and religious contexts of much of Asia. This book provides a new perspective on the topic of sacred natural sites and cultural heritage by linking Asian cultures, religions and worldviews with contemporary conservation practices and approaches.

The chapters focus on the modern significance of sacred natural sites in Asian protected areas with reference, where appropriate, to an Asian philosophy of protected areas. Drawn from over twenty different countries, the book covers examples of sacred natural sites from all of IUCN’s protected area categories and governance types. The authors demonstrate the challenges faced to maintain culture and support spiritual and religious governance and management structures in the face of strong modernization across Asia.

The book shows how sacred natural sites contribute to defining new, more sustainable and more equitable forms of protected areas and conservation that reflect the worldviews and beliefs of their respective cultures and religions. The book contributes to a paradigm-shift in conservation and protected areas as it advocates for greater recognition of culture and spirituality through the adoption of biocultural conservation approaches.

Bas Verschuuren is a freelance conservation adviser and an associate researcher at the department of Sociology of Development and Change at Wageningen University. He is co-chair to the IUCN-WCPA Specialist Group on Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Areas and co-founder of the Sacred Natural Sites Initiative.

Naoya Furuta is Coordinator at IUCN Japan Liaison Office and a professor at the Institute of Regional Development at Taisho University in Tokyo, Japan. He is a long-time member of Biodiversity Network Japan and also a member of the World Commission on Protected Areas.