Relevance of buffer zones in protecting World Heritage Sites (WHS) in urban contexts: case of Indian WHS

Purpose Buffer zones are tools to protect the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of World Heritage Sites (WHS), whose delineation process depends on state parties. There is a lack of research on the concept and understanding of buffer zones, especially in the Indian context. The aim of this paper is to build a theoretical understanding of the concept and relevance of buffer zones for WHS of different scales, contexts and typologies. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative study analyzing secondary literature (global and Indian official documents, research and publications, etc.) using both thematic and comparative analysis. While thematic analysis was employed to code and decode existing literature, comparative analysis was done for nine Indian WHS. Findings This analysis shows some criteria are relevant across buffer zones globally but are not clearly established or documented. Moreover, in India, although there are nine relevant buffer zone criteria, most heritage sites focus on two criteria – Visual Integrity and Laws and Regulations. This paper argues that all nine criteria must be considered while defining buffer zones. Originality/value This is the first attempt at a comprehensive analysis and understanding of buffer zones based on different heritage contexts.