Article
UNESCO Develops a Detailed Urban Plan aiming at Protecting the Agricultural Terraces in Battir
In close coordination with partners UNESCO invests efforts towards the enhancement and revitalization of the three inscribed World Heritage Sites in Palestine Birthplace of Jesus Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route Bethlehem 2012 Palestine Land of Olives and Vines Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem Battir 2014 and HebronAlKhalil Old Town 2017 Particularly UNESCO designs and implements projects and activities that respond to the numerous challenges emerging in these sites contributing to their proper conservation and management while sustaining their Outstanding Universal Values OUV In May 2021 UNESCO initiated a comprehensive project entitled Detailed Urban Plan and building by laws in Battir and Hussan to develop a conservation and urban plan for parts of the core and buffer zones of the site in Battir This initiative is implemented through a structured partnership with the concerned national stakeholders mandated to oversee cultural heritage sites in Palestine namely the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities MoTA The activity comes as a response to recognizing the need of protecting the agricultural terraces in Battir which is also highlighted in the sites conservation and management plan aiming to ensure that any developments in the site will not have an adverse impact on its OUV