Social Sustainability

Sacred Site

Meaning statusEstablishedSource recordDirect document linkedWhy these are different

Definition

A sacred site is a place — a spring, mountain, grove, burial ground or built structure — holding special spiritual, religious or cultural significance for a people. Sacred natural sites, as recognised in IUCN guidance, are frequently also biodiversity refuges, protected informally for centuries by custom and taboo; their formal protection engages cultural heritage law, Indigenous rights (UNDRIP), and freedom of religion.

References

www.iucn.orgBulk import source

Source imported for editorial provenance.

Source organisationSupporting reference

This reference provides supporting context for how “Sacred Site” is defined and used.

Overview

How it is used

The concept structures cultural heritage impact assessment, Indigenous land agreements, IUCN protected-area guidance (sacred natural sites as governance type), and corporate heritage due diligence.

Why it matters

Sacred sites test whether "stakeholder consultation" is genuine: their destruction is irreversible, and their protection measures whether development respects the deepest values of the people it touches.