Protected Areas : these are places where special measures need to be taken to protect natural resources. The 1972 United Nations Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, in common with the 1992 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, contributes towards the development of a world-wide system of protected areas. Conservation of the biodiversity within these areas is essential for sustaining viable populations of species, and for the purpose of sustaining the flow of ecosystem goods and services to support indigenous and local communities’ lives and livelihoods

World Heritage Centre Project: 'Using World Heritage to Build Support for Protected Areas'

With the support of the United Nations Foundation and the France–UNESCO cooperation agreement

 

Protected areas (PA) themselves also need support to maintain their integrity and to sustain the biological diversity within them. World Heritage (WH) status may help to build this support in a number of ways.

This project highlights case studies in which WH status has contributed or been harnessed to build support for protected areas. These are divided into five broad themes:

• 1. Raising Awareness
• 2. Increasing Protection
• 3. Enhancing Funding
• 4. Improving Management
• 5. Harnessing Tourism

The effective management and support of a PA often involves a large number of organizations, bodies, agencies and even individuals. These may range from governmental agencies to on-site rangers who are part of the local community, and from international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to trusts set up specifically to support an individual site. Each of these actors has a specific role to play in the ongoing management and protection of the WH sites.

The six case studies presented here have been compiled from information supplied principally from the six World Heritage site managers who took part in this project. Statements from NGOs and other stakeholders are also included to offer a broader perspective. Although the information in these studies largely reflects the experiences, and at times merely the opinions, these are from those most intimately involved with the sites.

The name given at the start of each case study is the World Heritage site manager. They are reachable, along with certain NGO representatives, through the Pilot Managers Network, which is available to registered users who have entered their username and password in the left hand column. Once logged in you can go directley to the Managers Network

WH protected area managers, associated NGOs and other stakeholders are encouraged to join this group and can do so by sending an e-mail, briefly describing their name and position. E-mail the World Heritage Centre

Follow the links below to learn about some of the experiences of individuals working in six WH protected areas:

Tubbataha Reef Marine Park - Philippines

 

Dorset and East Devon Coast - United Kingdom

 

Tongariro National Park - New Zealand

 

Sian Ka'an - Mexico

 

Galapagos Islands - Ecuador

 

Ujung Kulon National Park - Indonesia

 

For more information, comments or suggestions, please send an e-mail to Steven Ripley