Relating the state of authenticity and integrity and the factors affecting World Heritage properties : Island of Mozambique as case study

Management deficiencies and aggressive development are the two major threats to cultural World Heritage properties. The Island of Mozambique is among the properties affected by these threats, as well as, by general degradation. International guidelines and theories have already been defined on what should be done to mitigate or even prevent threats from affecting cultural heritage properties. Though, there is still a lack of methods and tools, verified on their effectiveness, to assist governments determining heritage impact assessments and raise informed decision-making. This article presents and discusses the results of applying an evidence-based research method to reveal the impact of factors affecting the attributes conveying the outstanding universal value, by relating their patterns of change in time. It is a contribution to the growth of knowledge in the field of cultural heritage management, and to the exploration of evidence-based methods in relational research. National and local governments involved in the cultural heritage management in general and in cultural heritage management of the Island of Mozambique in particular can use the discussed results to evaluate their current management practices and work towards improvement of their effectiveness.