Cemetery conservation should be more than the diagnosis, documentation and treatment of decaying materials; it should also meet the demands and needs of the citizenry that care for and value the material and cultural heritage of the site.

Preservation of cemeteries is not only important for preserving cultural heritage, but also for protection against unwanted social and cultural changes or, conversely, for its role as a catalyst for identity, economic or political strength.

In other words, conservation practice must become participatory conservation, through inclusion of the community. Conservation is a complex process which goes beyond a practitioner treating the various symptoms of stone decay; it requires sensitivity to the specific social, cultural, political and economic contexts of the entire site.