Intangible natural heritage: An introduction

The state of the planet is declining-the climate is warming, deserts are encroaching on previously arable land, essential fi sh stocks are being depleted, and on every inhabited continent traditional societies are becoming subsumed by a Western lifestyle. As this happens, museums that house and interpret the world’s natural and cultural artifacts are becoming increasingly involved with conserving the milieux from which their collections come. Museums are also becoming more active in raising public awareness about conservation, and are well placed to do so because they house the physical evidence of cultural and natural environments from both the past and present. The museum sector has begun to engage in an ethical dialogue around heritage conservation, which has resulted in the formation of the fi eld of ‘intangible heritage. Since 2002, the subject has been gaining momentum in conversation, as a topic of research, and was the theme chosen for the International Council of Museums (ICOM) 2004 General Assembly in Seoul.