Increasing the economic value of terrace products

Red rice is the local traditional rice species in HHRT and the “rice-duck-fish” is a traditional ecological farming model which fosters biological and cultural diversity. With the assistance of governments at all levels, local authorities promote red rice cultivation and encourage ecological production with the “rice-duck-fish” system. They have announced preferential policies, and are providing a platform for cooperation with agricultural research institutes, guiding farmers to plant high-quality red rice with high market prices, restoring traditional ecological agriculture symbiosis model, and ensuring that farmland food is safe to serve as table food. Through promotion and event planning in collaboration with cooperatives, products such as red rice, terrace-cultivated fish, terrace-cultivated duck eggs are increasing the income of farmers and boosting their enthusiasm for terrace cultivation.

 

Large enterprises have been involved in the development of a red rice industry and brand through high-quality rice processing, setting up professional cooperatives, and adopting a large-scale business model of “companies + cooperatives + bases + farmers.” Related services, crafts and e-commerce are encouraged to promote designated villages, such as Yakou.

  • Policy support, including subsidies, incentives and directions to improve the economic value of agricultural products. 
  • Protection of basic farmland and traditional farming methods in the face of cash crop cultivation and impact of modern farming technology.
  • Development of a new model of agricultural industry adapted to the market which guarantees for the continuation of the traditional rice cultivation.
  • Diversification of agricultural industry attractive to workforce.
  • Development of online shopping, logistics, branding and sales market.
  • Transportation is the main constraint for developing the local economy in remote areas, although encouraging the cultivation of traditional agricultural products and improving their economic value have achieved initial success. Profiting from transportation development and e-commerce platforms, the sales of agricultural products have increased. However, the vitality and sustainability of the rice terraces can not only rely on this, it requires an overall social and economic development to create more work opportunities for younger generations and ideas to sustain the rice terraces. 
  • In a modern market economy, the model of “companies + cooperatives + bases + farmers” requires a standardized product quality and follow obligatory market rules. Due to the small-scale peasant economy, products collected from different families have various quality, which is a disadvantage for large-scale production.
Restoration of traditional water-woods, canals and channels

Water management is the core of the technology and culture in HHRT, including canals, distribution and regulation. The “water-wood” is a dynamic irrigation system based on equity and water level/water flow rate relationship. Hani people built trunk canals to retain water from the top of the mountain following topographic contours. According to the terrain, canals and branches were built vertically to channel water. To rationally allocate water, water-woods are located where terraces begin and in gentle slopes along the main vertical canals, which adjust water flow, direction and speed. Depending on the field size, each family gets adequate water. Water rights are guaranteed by the Water Committee in charge of  managing canals and woods and solving disputes over water. 

In Yakou, the abandonment of water-woods and canals aggravated the impacts of drought. Local managers communicated to villagers the importance of the water-wood system, and investigated why it was abandoned. The Water Committee was reorganized and a Water Chief, responsible for solving disputes and for the inspection and maintenance of the canals, was elected. A new water source was found and canals, channels and water-woods were restored systematically bringing back the water supply to the terraces.

  • Maintenance of the vertical pattern of “Forest-Village-Terraces-Water system” or settlement pattern of “Forest-Terrace-Village-Water," whereby people share resources and follow a common management arrangement.
  • Concepts of unified planning and rational distribution.
  • Collaboration between government and local community organizations with skills and cultural awareness.
  • Specialized management organization and regulations, such as transparent funding, equitable distribution, system of rewards and penalties.
  • Integrity is an important principle for understanding the landscape, the agricultural system and its characteristics. The landscape and agricultural system are not simply composed of single elements, but these are connected in a logical way. Therefore, the recognition of the relationship between elements is the basis for research and conservation practice.
  • The restoration of the water management system worked as a process of resolving disputes in the local community, especially water and farmland disputes. These disputes required and analysis of the situation of resource distribution and the reasons behind the frictions. Mutual understanding and tolerance help resolving problems and redistribute the resource rationally and objectively.
Participatory research in cooperation with scientific institutions

Participatory research is essential when historical records lack and new concepts are introduced. The research in Yakou included three phases. The first phase aimed to understand the site and its significance. As a typical village with a well-preserved landscape of “forest-village-terrace-water system”, Yakou was selected to represent the landscape pattern of Laohuzui Area. Fieldwork was conducted both by the nomination team (Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage) and the scientific research team (Yunnan University). The second phase focused on the restoration of Yakou’s irrigation system. Semi-structured interviews to locals, fieldwork and restoration were conducted. According to research results, the traditional water management system and related knowledge emerged as key elements in Yakou. Ditches, canals and water-woods were repaired to ensure its long-term use, and traditional ceremonies and inspection system were established by the elders. The third phase focused on the enhancement of the water management, where researchers conducted spatial research of the settlement patch distribution pattern and hydrological analysis using Geographic Information System followed by the replication of the experience in other villages.

  • Local research institutions are familiar with local conditions. Research requires the active involvement of local people and community to share knowledge and experience, especially oral history and unrecognized knowledge that is significant and need to connect to international and national societies. 
  • Combination of international perspective and local experience. 
  • Cooperation between public service institutions and domestic research institutes. 
  • Collaboration between “research institutes + public service organizations + villager organization.”
  • The relationship between land-use, society and culture are crucial in landscape studies. Environmental challenges might be the manifestation of social changes and new regulations (e.g. Land and water disputes could be the underlying issue).
  • In the WH framework, the Outstanding Universal Value can be broad and general, but detailed features can not be neglected because these are the clue to understand the site characteristics. In Yakou, different layers of values research contribute to heritage management before and after inscription as WH. It has improved the knowledge of site managers, locals and researchers, and it is a continuing process.
  • Lack of historical records and documentation is a big problem for the preservation of the traditional water culture. Too much attention has been give to the landscape views yet not sufficient attention to  the nature-human interactions which produced these. 
  • Separate plans can not solve long-term management: Water management, conservation management and master plans should be drawn up in coordination and integrated for implementation.
Establishing a multi-level partnership (Prefecture-County-Township-Village)

The partnership and management system of prefecture-county-township-village is under the guidance of the Upstream competent department and cooperates with specialized research and technical institutions at different levels. It is a locally adapted innovative partnership that solves the integration between traditional and modern management, as well as international and national requirements.The World Cultural Heritage Management Administration of HHRT is responsible at prefectural level of the communication and coordination between international and national institutions. The Government of Yuanyang is the body in charge of heritage protection and management. A specialized unit, the World Heritage Management Committee of Yuanyang HHRT has been established to enforce the management plan and deal with daily affairs in the World Heritage site. Panzhihua Town and the Village Committee of Yakou are in charge of implementing conservation activities and coordinating with local stakeholders. From 2012-2018, the prefecture commissioned an investigation on the attributes and the water management system of Yakou village, in order to understand its underlying problems. The county sectors conducted the restoration of the water-wood management system based on the investigation's results.

  • World Heritage nomination process.
  • The establishment of the World Cultural Heritage Management Administration of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, China, a centralized management system which coordinates government and stakeholders at different levels.
  • World Heritage Management Committee that can integrate related sectors, taking over management duties. 
  • In parallel, establishing close partnership with research institutions supported the integration of an international insight and the local experience.
  • Need of multi-sectoral cooperation and multi-party participation: Participation of local communities promotes the protection and transmission of Indigenous knowledge that relates to ecological environment conservation.
  • To sustain and restore the water management system of HHRT, there is a need to involve culture and nature sectors, government and villagers as well as research institutions. Only-government-led projects would result in the loss of a sustainable driving force; the simple restoration of canals and woods would lead to aggravate conflicts of local social organizations.
  • Need of a broader research: The recovery of water-wood management project is conducted only in several villages. The overall spatial distribution and conservation situation are still unclear, which needs a broader investigation and research in all 82 villages by taking one village as a basic unit.
  • Need of a long-term monitoring and evaluation mechanism: Impacts of the water-wood restoration project need to be assessed in order to propose improvements.
Yuxin Li
Establishing a multi-level partnership (Prefecture-County-Township-Village)
Participatory research in cooperation with scientific institutions
Restoration of traditional water-woods, canals and channels
Increasing the economic value of terrace products
Legislation regulating protection and development
Yuxin Li
Establishing a multi-level partnership (Prefecture-County-Township-Village)
Participatory research in cooperation with scientific institutions
Restoration of traditional water-woods, canals and channels
Increasing the economic value of terrace products
Legislation regulating protection and development
Using Indigenous language in the signage of the heritage place

Røros municipality is a Sámi management area for language and culture which is a legal status where Sámi culture and language should be used for public communication, schools and land use plans at municipal level. The process to be a Sámi management area started in 2015, and the objective for the process was to lift forward the Sámi language and culture in the municipality. The municipality board delegated the mission to a political committee, who presented the results in November 2016. The government approved the application in 2018. Today there are 12 Norwegian municipalities that are Sámi management areas for language and culture

In Røros, the signage of places and streets shall be translated to Sámi language at county and municipality levels. A Sámi name for Røros will also be decided. There is also education in Sámi language in primary school in Røros and Engerdal municipalities. Sámi language is also used in the signing of e-mails of officers. For the translation and naming process, the municipality appoints a committee which suggests words and names. The suggestions are taken into the municipality board, which sends the proposal to the Sámi Parliament. The Parliament discusses it on a hearing, and when the hearing is over, the municipality board finally decides the names.

Røros municipality was declared a Sámi management area for language and culture in 2018.

1) Non-Sámi people react mostly positively to the Sámi language used in the signage, but until now it has been little used.

2) Some words are difficult to translate, not all concepts have equivalents in Sámi language, so there is still improvement to be done. However, it allows a learning process on Sámi culture and the differences with Norwegian language.

Using the elaboration of the World Heritage management plan as a space for dialogue

The process for the elaboration of the new management plan for the World Heritage property started in 2017, and several groups have been working on it for three years (2017-2020). The World Heritage Management Board is leading the process, with the collaboration of the cultural heritage manager in Røros, the representative of Sámi Indigenous people, urban planners from the different municipalities and counties within the World Heritage property and buffer zone, and the Director of the Museum of Røros. Hearings and meetings with the municipality boards in the 5 municipalities have been used for establishing this dialogue. More than 40 different parties were invited to the hearings including the counties, municipalities, museums, NGOs, persons involved in the Management Plans, private owners of land within the World Heritage property, and the Sámi Parliament. The Sámi were involved in the same way as the other stakeholders, and counting with representatives both in the World Heritage Board and in the administrative group.

  • The government requested to all Norwegian World Heritage sites to develop new management plans.
  • The World Heritage Coordinator was in charge of drafting the former management plan (2010) and had the will and mission to develop a new management plan for Røros.

1) During the hearing of the new Management Plan, many of the parties mentioned that the Sámi culture should be strengthen more than it already was. Most of the suggestions of the different parties were to focus more on reinforcing the Sámi relations and values.

2) Reinforcing the idea to include the Sámi culture as part of the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage site in the next years. Yet, the State Party needs to lead the process. Some municipalities want that some areas currently in the buffer zone (part of the Circumference) be integrated in the World Heritage property (Narjodet, agricultural area, and Dragås-Eidet, which is one of the melters outside Røros).

3) In order to work equally with different parties, there has been no special treatment for none of the stakeholders.

4) To integrate the different stakeholders feedback into the management plan, hearings were organized to consult about the arrangements for drafting the plan and later to consult on the plan itself. 

Integrating Indigenous people's perspectives in the interpretation of the heritage place

The place where to learn about Røros and the Circumference is the Museum. The Røros museum consists of five main sections, one dedicated to the buildings of Røros, one dedicated to the Sámi culture, one dedicated to nature conservation management, one to mining and quarrying and one to the World Heritage. A permanent position as Sámi researcher was established in 2001. The establishment of the Museum as the World Heritage centre of Røros and the Circumference in 2017, allowed the enlargement of the World Heritage narrative to the Sámi relationship to the place already existing in the museum. In this space, it is clarified that the Sámi were in the area before the copper-works started. The sami community has existed through history on its own terms but also in interaction with the society around the copper-works. Interaction could be based on trading with reindeers, with handicraft, withreindeer-skins, or as hosts for reindeers that were owned by people who owned the copper-work, tradesmen and farmers. The landscape of the Circumference has been to some extend also shaped in relation to the reindeers, and Sámi managed this relationship in a sustainable way.

  • Collection on Sámi culture (i.e. objects, visual archive) already existing in the Museum
  • In 2012, it was decided by the Norwegian Parliament that all World Heritage properties shall have a World Heritage centre. 
  • In 2017, the Røros Museum started working as the World Heritage centre of Røros and the Circumference. 

It was a long process to find the financing for the World Heritage centre of Røros. There are only two persons engaged specifically for the World Heritage centre function at the Museum, even though the whole museum works in some way, as a World Heritage centre. In order to finance these two persons and their activities, the State provides 60%, the counties 20% and the municipalities 20%. Regional financing for that last 40% needed to be arranged and consented by all local parties.

Indigenous people’s representative at the World Heritage Management Board

The World Heritage Management Board was established in 2012 and is composed of 8 members representing the main stakeholder groups in the World Heritage property: 5 mayors of the 5 municipalities - Røros, Tolga, Holtålen, Engerdal and Os-, 1 representative for each of the 2 counties - Trøndelag and Innlandet (regional level)- and 1 representative of the Sámi Parliament. The chair holds the role for 2 years and can be re-elected. The World Heritage coordinator acts as the Secretary of the board. Besides, there are 6 observers: the Director of Destination Røros, the Director of the Røros museum, the Director of Nord-Østerdal Museum (3 municipalities), the Director of Røros Municipality, the Cultural Heritage manager of Røros and the site manager of the Femundsmarka National Park who represents both national parks and the governors of the 2 counties. The board has regular meetings (4-5 times a year) and excursions where they process cases proposed by the coordinator, by the members themselves and by other stakeholders. The management plan, budget, new proposals to strengthen the values in the site, national and international collaboration and hearings of different suggestions from the directorates and departments are discussed. The decisions are taken by consensus.

The Femundsmarka National Park, located within the Circumference area, counted with a representative of the Sámi Parliament in their own board. This was a model for the World Heritage Management Board. Besides, in 2018, Røros municipality became a management area for Sami language, which also reinforces the importance of the representation of Sámi people in the decision-making processes of the World Heritage site.

1) The selection of the Sámi representative is done by the Sámi Parliament. This  is important to strengthen the authority and the links to the parliament.   

2) The participation of a Sámi representative in the board has influenced in how the new World Heritage  management plan is more inclusive of Sámi culture. This is supported by the administration and the politicians  in the counties, in the municipalities and in the museums  who were very aware of the question about how the Sámi culture should be featured in the current process around the management plan. 

3) The Sámi representative has become a focal point for Sámi questions.