## 4 Case Studies
### Digital Landscape and Community Involvement of the Bamiyan World Heritage (Afghanistan)
These objectives resulted in the Bamiyama Cultural Master Plan to fulfill the obligations of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, protect the valley's natural and cultural aspects, and initiate an urban development process that integrates the protected CH zones. A mixed methodological approach was used to map the culture of the Bamiyama Valley area, combining traditional on-site cultural mapping with advanced documentation techniques such as laser scanning [114]. In addition, remote sensing technologies, land surveys using Differential GPS (DGPS) measurements, and high-resolution stereo satellite imagery for 3D photogrammetric analysis were used to generate a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the valley (see Figure 4). By overlaying the DEM with cultural layers in a geographic information system (GIS), we obtained precise insights into the topography and extent of archaeological areas beyond the designated boundaries of the World Heritage property [115]. In the university's VR lab, we used the derived topographic models to remotely identify the impact of development projects (e.g., road construction) on the World Heritage property well in advance and to explore alternatives in the early stages of some developments [116]. We presented the study's results to local stakeholders in public meetings and workshops facilitated by UNESCO and in local communities, projecting thematic maps and the 3D digital relief overlayed with protection zoning schemes. We also illustrated the results of near-surface archaeological excavations to explain the need for adapted land-use practices to avoid the damage and degradation of cultural elements. Villagers attending the meetings could check the experts' presentation accuracy by blending the presentations with orthophotography from Google Maps on their mobile devices and immediately verifying the extent to which their land and houses were affected by the protected zone. Local people have never experienced such transparency in planning before. The interaction with the communities revealed that although the government authorities had adopted the protective zoning plans, the implementation in daily practice was a top-down approach, where individual landowners were directly confronted with the land use restrictions derived from the preservation objectives. The authorities insisted on implementing these restrictions without answering the resulting questions, such as that of basic compensation for the perceived \"loss of value\" due to the prohibition to use the land in the most desired way (i.e., value creation through urbanization). In addition to the conflicting interests arising from development needs and cultural protection requirements, we have found that the acceptance of universal value concepts such as \"World Heritage\" is only possible if local values are included. In particular, in addition to the direct link between land use value and the livelihoods of local people, this includes an appreciation of local stories and narratives that are part of the place's oral history and shared by its people. Otherwise, any proposed land-use restrictions aimed at preserving the Cultural Landscape in the long term will be opposed and likely rejected by local communities [117]. Cooperation among stakeholders at the international, national, and local levels is essential for managing World Heritage sites. The case highlights the link between the preservation of CH and its role in peace and reconciliation efforts, especially in conflict-affected regions. Based on such experiences in the field, ICOMOS and ICROM have elaborated for the international heritage community on this topic and have jointly prepared guidance for heritage professionals since such discussions greatly affect debates on sensemaking and value attribution and also heavily impact the balancing of local power structures.