Environmental change and heritage, with special reference to Robben Island : heritage, the environment and (bio)diversity

Environmental changes, including fluctuations in global temperature and associated change in sea levels, have had dramatic impacts on plants, animals and human communities within the last three million years. Three examples of environmental change are given relating to Robben Island, St. Lucia and Sterkfontein, three South African sites which have recently been accorded world heritage status by UNESCO. These sites serve as reminders of interrelationships between cultural and natural heritage, in the context of continuous environmental change.