Research & Article

This study aims at illustrating complex processes of cultural landscape transformation in a parallel with holistic pictures of community resilience to the impacts from global changes, and the statement of sustainable development. Three communities in Asian countries that were chosen to be the case studies include Mukugawa, an upland Village in Japan, Khiriwong, a mountain village in the Southern part of Thailand, and Diura, a small fisherman village in the Batanes Islands, the Philippines.

The three case studies show that management of cultural landscapes has been based on sets of local knowledge. Cultural landscapes are not static. They have been transformed through times. Affected by changes in local, national, regional and global level, communities have played important roles in managing spatial structures and other resources. Grounded on cultural and social capital, various kinds of community groups have worked for adapting local knowledge, combined with other set of knowledge, and then produced new sets of knowledge.

In order to build effective collaborative management, the bonding and bridging among groups have been created, while the linkage between local groups and outside organizations, especially governmental and non-profit organizations have been properly formed. According to the three case studies, it can be stated that inventive practices in managing cultural landscapes provide benefits to community resilience building. Meanwhile, proper management of change ensures economic, socio-cultural, and ecological balance that leads to statement of sustainability.