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World Heritage Caves and Karst: a Thematic Study

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World Heritage Convention IUCN World Heritage Studies 2008 Number Two World Heritage Caves and Karst A Thematic Study IUCN Programme on Protected Areas A global review of karst World Heritage properties: present situation, future prospects and management requirements . IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature Founded in 1948, IUCN brings together States, government agencies and a diverse range of non-governmental organizations in a unique worldwide partnership: over 1000 members in all, spread across some 140 countries. As a Union, IUCN seeks to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. A central Secretariat coordinates the IUCN Programme and serves the Union membership, representing their views on the world stage and providing them with the strategies, services, scientific knowledge and technical support they need to achieve their goals. Through its six Commissions, IUCN draws together over 10,000 expert volunteers in project teams and action groups, focusing in particular on species and biodiversity conservation and the management of habitats and natural resources. The Union has helped many countries to prepare National Conservation Strategies, and demonstrates the application of its knowledge through the field projects it supervises. Operations are increasingly decentralized and are carried forward by an expanding network of regional and country offices, located principally in developing countries. IUCN builds on the strengths of its members, networks and partners to enhance their capacity and to support global alliances to safeguard natural resources at local, regional and global levels. This study is produced as part of IUCN’s role as advisory body to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention on natural heritage. IUCN Programme on Protected Areas Rue Mauverney 28 CH-1196 Gland Switzerland www.iucn.org © June 2008 Cover Image: Karst towers in the Ha Long Bay World Heritage site, Vietnam, have been flooded by a combination of geological subsidence and post-glacial sea level rise. The partly drowned tower karst results in a landscape of hundreds of islands (photo by P. Williams). World Heritage Caves and Karst A Thematic Study A global review of karst World Heritage properties: present situation, future prospects and management requirements Author: Paul Williams IUCN Programme on Protected Areas Rue Mauverney 28 CH-1196 Gland Switzerland www.iucn.org © June 2008 . Acknowledgements The review benefited considerably from the constructive comments of members of the IUCN Secretariat, IUCN/WCPA Task Force on Caves and Karst, the International Speleological Union and the International Association of Geomorphologists. In particular the following are thanked by the author for their contributions: Bartolomé Andreo, Tim Badman, Bastian Bomhard, Steve Bourne, Arrigo Cigna, Brian Clark, Reuben Clements, Mick Day, Paul Dingwall, Derek Ford, John Gunn, Elery Hamilton- Smith, Julia James, Andrej Kranjc, Jose Aryton Labegalini, David Sheppard, Andy Spate and Hubert Trimmel. IUCN wishes to record its thanks to the author for undertaking this review as part of the contribution of the World Commission on Protected Areas to the World Heritage Convention. Professor Paul Williams can be contacted at: [email protected] Disclaimer The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN or other participating organizations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN or its partners. IUCN and other participating organizations disclaim any errors or omissions in the translation of this document from the original version in English, or from primary errors in any of the data interpreted within it. World Heritage Caves and Karst A Thematic Study List of Contents PART 1: REVIEW OF KARST LANDSCAPES AND CAVES IN RELATION TO THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST 1.1 Introduction Nominations of Karst Properties to the World Heritage List 1.2 Purpose and Scope of this Review 1.3 Definitions Karst Landscapes Karst-like Landscapes 1.4 Conceptual Framework 1.5 Karst Landscapes and Caves on the World Heritage List 1.6 Karst Landscapes and Caves on the Tentative Lists of States Parties 1.7 Recommendations for Filling the Principal Remaining Gaps 1.8 Conclusions on Karst and the World Heritage List PART 2: THE REQUIREMENTS FOR INTEGRITY AND MANAGEMENT THAT SHOULD APPLY TO KARST ON THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST 2.1 Conditions of Integrity 2.2 Requirements for Integrity that Apply to Karst The Unusual Characteristics of Karst Requirements for Integrity 2.3 Requirements for Management that Apply to Karst Responsibility of the State Party Management Structure Management Issues in Karst Management of Caves 2.4 Monitoring 2.5 Conclusions on Integrity REFERENCES PICTURES TABLES World Heritage Caves and Karst: A Thematic Study PART 1: REVIEW OF KARST LANDSCAPES AND CAVES IN RELATION TO THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST 1.1 Introduction Nominations of Karst Properties to the World Heritage List Following IUCN’s evaluation report to the 31st World Heritage Committee in Christchurch (2007), the World Heritage Committee noted [Decision 31 COM 8B.13] that karst systems (including caves) are relatively well represented on the World Heritage List. Worldwide there are a large number of protected karst landscapes with caves and at a detailed level every one of these can assert that it is in some way unique. Therefore in the interests of maintaining the credibility of the World Heritage List, IUCN considers that there is increasingly limited scope for recommending further karst nominations for inclusion on the World Heritage List. In particular, IUCN recommends that the World Heritage Committee should consider indicating clearly to States Parties that further karst nominations should only be promoted where: • There is a very clear basis for identifying major and distinctive features of outstanding universal value that has been verified by a thorough global comparative analysis; • The basis for claiming outstanding universal value is a significant and distinctive feature of demonstrable and widespread significance, and not one of many narrow and specialized features that are exhibited within karst terrains. IUCN recommends that States Parties considering karst nominations carry out an initial global comparative analysis prior to proceeding with the development of a full nomination, in order to minimize the possibilities of promoting a nomination that will not meet the requirements of the World Heritage Convention, including those concerning the conditions of integrity. 1.2 Purpose and Scope of this Review The purpose of this review is to assist with the implementation of this decision and, in particular, to advise States Parties to the World Heritage Committee on: 1. The scope of karst landscapes and features, including caves, already represented on the World Heritage List; 2. The potential and priorities for further future recognition of karst landscapes and features on the World Heritage List in relation to the relevant World Heritage criteria; and 3. The requirements for integrity and management that should apply to karst landscapes and features on the World Heritage List. The geographical scope of this report is global, including, but not limited to, the territory of member states of UNESCO. The thematic scope of the study is on sites included, or with the potential to be included, on the World Heritage List in relation to their value as: • Landscapes that are formed by the primary action of karst processes above and below ground; and • Karst landscapes and caves of outstanding and universal importance in relation to 1 geoscience, assuming their accessibility and comprehension by civil society. 1 IUCN considers this does not include sites with interests that are only of a specialised scientific importance. 1 World Heritage Caves and Karst: A Thematic Study 1.3 Definitions Karst Landscapes The word karst can be traced back to pre-Indoeuropean origins (Gams 1973, 1991, 2003; Kranjc 2001). It stems from karra/gara meaning stone, and its derivatives are found in many languages of Europe and the Middle East. A stony limestone region known as Kras (later germanicised to Karst) on the border region of Slovenia and Italy was the place where it was first scientifically studied. The area is referred to as the ‘classical’ karst, but it is part of a larger limestone region with a similar style of landscape that extends continuously southeast along the Adriatic coast to Montenegro and beyond. This wider region attained international scientific prominence through the investigations and publications of Jovan Cvijić (1893, 1901, 1918), regarded by many as the father of modern karst science. This larger region is referred to as the Dinaric Karst (Gams 2003). It is the paramount karst of Europe and the type site2 of many karst features. Landforms in other parts of the world similar to those found in the Dinaric Karst are by extension known as karst phenomena. Karst is found on particularly soluble rocks, especially limestone, marble, and dolomite (carbonate rocks), but is also developed on gypsum and rock salt (evaporite rocks). Carbonate rocks outcrop
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