The decision of the World Heritage Committee in 1994 to take into consideration the principles and views contained in the Nara Document on Authenticity (1994) in its evaluation of properties nominated for inclusion on the World Heritage List is a turning point in the history of the World Heritage Convention. It generated an enriched World Heritage discourse and listing of sites that demonstrated both cultural diversity and heritage diversity. Significantly, the knowledge of community groups living in World Heritage sites has become important in management, and this was further underscored in 2007 by the Committee adopting ‘Communities’ as one of the 5 ‘Cs’, or Strategic Objectives for facilitating the implementation of the Convention.

This chapter presents five case studies that illustrate the participation of local communities living in and around World Heritage sites and contributing to the safeguarding of their respective outstanding universal value.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa) clearly demonstrates that conservation of a World Heritage site in partnership with the primary stakeholder community can result in economic, social and environmental benefits derived to communities that have been historically disad-vantaged. Conservation and community development are facilitated as sustainable development of the World Heritage site.

Sian Ka'an (Mexico) is an example of participatory methodologies and project-based learning in safeguarding outstanding universal value. It recognizes that the high degree of biodiversity conserved in the World Heritage site is partly a legacy of the traditional knowledge systems of the Maya people. It respects and benefits from the Maya management practices and landscape skills over the centuries. In doing so the approach stems the decline of traditional knowledge.