Intangible Cultural Heritage differently exposed across continents

Abstract

This study investigates the characteristics and patterns of various kinds of threats to Intangible Cultural Heritage. Data originate from the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage database, which, besides the 796 inscriptions, holds 863 threats across the world since 2008. One out of five Intangible Heritage elements is identified as threatened, most commonly due to a lack of practice or transmission across generations or socioeconomic aspects. Environmental hazards are seldom identified as threats. Based on Probit and count data models, the results reveal that the likelihood and number of threats are mainly associated with geographic location and the year of inscription. Intangible Heritage in Europe and North America is the least exposed, while the opposite situation prevails in Africa. Early additions to the safeguarding list are more threatened. Once a threat has been identified, it rarely occurs in isolation, with internal and socio-economic threats being the most common pairings.