Study on improvement at UNESCO sites earns Omani student masters

The study, titled “Improving the resilience of Unesco World Heritage Sites: A case study”, aims to enhance the resilience of the aflaj irrigation system, by highlighting Falaj Daris as a case study for this research as it is a world heritage site.

The results of the study revealed poor coordination between the various stakeholders, which leads to random planning and duplication of roles in management, exposing these sites to many risks resulting from human practices.

“The most common dangers that threaten Falaj Daris are the encroachment on the borders and the separating areas of the falaj, urban expansion, pollution, and the lack of tourism activities and tourism interpretation methods,” said Manal.

Added to these, according to her, the irresponsible behaviour of some residents of the region has been affecting the smooth flow of the falaj water to various parts of each wilayat.

“The major issue is the man-made dangers that harm the structure and flow of various aflaj including Falaj Daris. As long as every single human being living in the country behaves responsibly, the aflaj system cannot be revived,” added Manal.

The study included four chapters in addition to the introduction and conclusion. The second chapter dealt with a review of practices and frameworks applied globally to manage risks in world heritage sites and the international efforts to protect them.

The third chapter dealt with the case study of Falaj Daris, in addition to the five aflaj included in the world heritage list, and the most important dangers that threaten them.

The fourth chapter was concerned with the research methodology used to collect and analyse data, while the fifth chapter was devoted to discussing the results of the study.

The thesis was supervised by Dr Magda bint Hamoud al Saltiyah, Assistant Professor of Crisis and Disaster Management in the Department of Tourism and Dr Yaqoub bin Salim al Busaidy, Assistant Professor of Sustainable Tourism, and Dr Huda bint Juma al Balushiyah, Assistant Professor in Flight Catering and Service Quality.

The committee was chaired by Dr Fathia bint Abdullah al Rashidiyah, with the membership of Dr Suad bint Saud al Manjiyah, from the Ministry of Education, and Dr Hamad bin Muhammad al Mehrzi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Tourism.