The Integrity and Authenticity Challenge in the Protection of Mozambique Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site: A Community-Centred Approach Aligned with the Nairobi Outcome

The Island of Mozambique, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991, embodies a stratified cultural landscape characterised by African, Swahili and Portuguese influences, forged through centuries of transnational interactions within the Indian Ocean network. Notwithstanding its recognised Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), the site confronts persistent tensions between international conservation norms, the preservation of authenticity and integrity, and the socio-economic imperatives of its resident population, increasingly exacerbated by climate change. This study critically examines the governance of change within a living World Heritage context. It uses the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach, the Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) framework, and the 2025 Nairobi Outcome on Heritage and Authenticity. Methodologically, the investigation integrates documentary and legislative analysis, fieldwork observations, and stakeholder consultations with local communities. The results identify significant governance gaps that compromise authenticity and integrity, particularly where community livelihoods and adaptive cultural practices are inadequately incorporated into conservation strategies. The study advances a community-centred safeguarding model aligned with the Nairobi Outcome, promoting a dynamic and pluralistic interpretation of authenticity that reconciles heritage conservation with social resilience, climate adaptation, and sustainable change management.