Abstract:
Cultural heritage are precious resources that showed the past human legacy, depicts present and
future way of life as well as cultural values of a society, and it enhances solidarity and social
integration of communities. However, due to natural catastrophes and anthropogenic factors, the
sustainability of cultural heritage is questionable and requires scientific investigations to uncover
the major problems affecting the continual of heritage attractions so that the panacea for this can
be devised. Therefore, this study is designed to investigate the practices, impacts and challenges
of cultural heritage conservations in North Shoa Zone, Central Ethiopia. Methodologically, the
research employed mixed research approach, and cross-sectional descriptive and explanatory
research design. The study used both probability and non-probability sampling techniques to
select samples. While systematic sampling technique is applied to select samples from local
communities, purposive sampling was designed to choose interviewees. The target population of
the study encompasses local communities, government authorities, and culture and tourism office
experts of North Shoa Zone and respective districts. Both primary data (questionnaires, semi structured interviews, focus group discussions and field observations) and secondary data (books,
magazines, conventions and proclamations, proceedings, manuals, reports, articles) were used.
The actual and valid sample size of the study is 208. The findings of the study revealed that the
cultural heritages are not are not safeguarded and protected from damaging activities indicating
a poor status of conservation. the major conclusion sketched from the study is the principal
factors affecting heritage conservation are lack proper management, monitoring and evaluation,
lack of funds and stakeholder involvement, urbanization, settlement programs and agricultural
practice, poor government concern and professional commitment, poor attitude towards cultural
heritages and lack of community concern, vandalism and illicit trafficking, low promotions of
cultural heritage, and natural catastrophes like invasive intervention, climate change (humidity
and frost, excessive rainfall and flood, heat from the sun). The study implied that the sustainability
of cultural heritage is endanger unless conservation practice is supported by conservation
guidelines, heritage site management plans and research outputs, stakeholders’ integration, and
community involvement. Most importantly, the study recommends the integration of heritage
conservation and sustainable development, and the promotion of conservation is a way of
achieving economic and social sustainability.