IUCN Evaluation of Nominations of Natural and Mixed Properties to the World Heritage List
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WHC-06/30.COM/INF.8B2 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage IUCN Evaluation of Nominations of Natural and Mixed Properties to the World Heritage List Report to the World Heritage Committee Thirtieth session July 2005 - Vilnius, Lithuania Prepared by IUCN - The World Conservation Union May 2006 Table of Contents Page No Introduction i IUCN Techincal Evaluation Reports A Natural Properties A1 New Nominations of Natural Properties Arab States Morocco - Toubkal 1 Asia / Pacific China - Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuary, Wolong Mt. Signuniang and Jiajin 9 Mountains Indonesia /Malaysia - Transborder Rainforest Heritage of Borneo 19 Europe / North America Azerbaijan - Hirkan Forests of Azerbaijan 29 Estonia - Baltic Klint 35 Israel - The Great Rift Valley Migration Flyway, the Hula 45 Spain - Dinosaur Ichnite Sites of the Iberian Peninsula 55 Latin America / Caribbean Colombia - Gorgona and Malpelo Islands, Coastal and Oceanic national Marine 65 Parks of Colombia's Eastern Tropical Pacific A2 Extension of Natural Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List Europe / North America Finland - The Kvarken Archipelago (as an extension to the High Coast) 75 B Mixed Properties B1 New nominations for mixed properties Africa Malawi - Nyika National Park 83 B2 Referred nominations of Mixed Properties for which additional information has been received Africa Gabon - Ecosystem and relict cultural landscape of Lopé-Okanda 91 Page No IUCN Techincal Evaluation Reports CsCultural Propertie CsNew Nominations for Cultural Landscape Propertie Asia / Pacific India - River Island of Majuli in midstream of Brahmaputra River in Assam 97 Europe / North America France - The Causses eandCévennes 99 Mexico - The Agave Landscape and the Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila 103 United Kingdom - Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape 105 NUMERICAL INDEX OF IUCN EVALUATIONS OF PROPERTIES TO BE EXAMINED BY THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE AT ITS 30TH SESSION IyD Nº State Part Woorld Heritage Property Proposal Page N 2i90 Rev Mkalaw N3yika National Par 8 The Kvarken Archipelago (as an extension 8d98 Bis Finlan 75 to the High Coast) Ecosystem and relict cultural landscape of 1n147 Rev Gabo 91 Lopé-Okanda 1e153 Franc T9he Causses and Cévennes 9 1o168 Mlorocc T1oubka 1a197 Indonesia / Malaysi T9ransborder Rainforest Heritage of Borneo 1 Dinosaur Ichnite Sites of the Iberian 1n204 Spai 55 Peninsula River Island of Majuli in midstream of 1a206 Indi 97 Brahmaputra River in Assam The Agave Landscape and the Ancient 1o209 Mexic 103 Industrial Facilities of Tequila 1a210 Etstoni B5altic Klin 3 1n212 Azerbaija H9irkan Forests of Azerbaijan 2 Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuary - Wolong 1a213 Chin 9 Mt. Signuniang and Jiajin Mountains Cornwall and West Devon Mining 1m215 United Kingdo 105 Landscape Gorgona and Malpelo Islands, Coastal and 1a216 Colombi Oceanic national Marine Parks of 65 Colombia's Eastern Tropical Pacific Israel - The Great Rift Valley Migration 1l219 Israe 45 Flyway, the Hula THE WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION IUCN TECHNICAL EVALUATION REPORTS OF WORLD HERITAGE NOMINATIONS May 2006 1. INTRODUCTION for conducting the IUCN technical evaluations. In addition, PPA has been able to call on experts from This technical evaluation report of natural and mixed IUCN’s other five Commissions (Species Survival, properties nominated for inclusion on the World Heritage Environmental Law, Education and Communication, List has been conducted by the Programme on Protected Ecosystem Management, and Environmental, Economic Areas (PPA) of IUCN – The World Conservation Union. and Social Policy), from international earth science PPA co-ordinates IUCN’s input to the World Heritage unions, other specialist offices in the IUCN Secretariat, Convention. It also co-ordinates the activities of IUCN’s and from scientific contacts in universities and other World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) which international agencies. This highlights the considerable is the world’s leading expert network of protected area “added value” from investing in the use of the extensive managers and specialists. networks of IUCN and partner institutions. In carrying out its function under the World Heritage During 2005 IUCN commissioned an external review of Convention IUCN has been guided by four principles: its work on World Heritage evaluations, which was carried out by Dr. Christina Cameron. This resulted in a (i) the need to ensure the highest standards of number of recommendations to improve IUCN’s work quality control and institutional memory in relation and the majority of these are currently being to technical evaluation, monitoring and other implemented. The final review and the IUCN associated activities; management response are available on IUCN’s website. (ii) the need to increase the use of specialist networks of IUCN, especially WCPA, but also other relevant IUCN Commissions and specialist 2. EVALUATION PROCESS networks; In carrying out the technical evaluation of nominations (iii) the need to work in support of the UNESCO World IUCN is guided by the Operational Guidelines of the Heritage Centre and States Parties to examine Convention. The evaluation process is carried out over how IUCN can creatively and effectively support the period of one year, from the receipt of nominations at the World Heritage Convention and individual IUCN in April and the submission of the IUCN evaluation properties as “flagships” for conservation; and report to the World Heritage Centre in May of the following year. The process (outlined in Figure 1) involves the (iv) the need to increase the level of effective following key steps: partnership between IUCN and the World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS and ICCROM. 1. Data Assembly. A standardised data sheet is compiled on the nominated property by UNEP’s Members of the expert network of WCPA carry out the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP- majority of technical evaluation missions. This allows WCMC), using the nomination document, the for the involvement of regional natural heritage experts World Database on Protected Areas and other and broadens the capacity of IUCN with regard to its available reference material; work under the World Heritage Convention. Reports from field missions and comments from a large number 2. External Review. The nomination is sent to of international reviewers are comprehensively independent experts knowledgeable about the examined by the IUCN World Heritage Panel. PPA then property or the natural values it represents, notably prepares the final technical evaluation reports which are members of WCPA, other IUCN specialist presented in this document. commissions and scientific networks or NGOs working in the region (approx. 100 external IUCN has also placed emphasis on providing input and reviewers provided input in relation to the support to ICOMOS in relation to cultural landscapes properties examined in 2005/2006); which have important natural values. IUCN recognises that nature and culture are strongly linked and that many 3. Field Inspection. Missions composed of one or natural World Heritage properties have important cultural more IUCN experts are sent to evaluate the values. nominated property on the ground and to discuss The WCPA membership network now totals over 1400 the nomination with the relevant national and local protected area managers and specialists from 120 authorities, local communities and other countries. This network has provided much of the basis stakeholders. Missions usually take place IUCN World Heritage Evaluation Report May 2006 i between May and November. In the case of mixed completely revised nomination documents or major properties and certain cultural landscapes, changes. missions are joint with ICOMOS. In the technical evaluation of nominated properties, the Udvardy Biogeographic Province concept is used for 4. IUCN World Heritage Panel Review. The IUCN comparison of nominations with other similar properties. World Heritage Panel of experts meets at least This method makes comparisons of natural properties once per year, usually in December at IUCN more objective and provides a practical means of Headquarters in Switzerland to examine each assessing similarity. At the same time, World Heritage nomination. A second meeting or conference calls properties are expected to contain special features, are arranged as necessary. The Panel intensively habitats and faunistic or floristic peculiarities that can reviews the nomination dossiers, field mission also be compared on a broader biome basis. It is reports, comments from external reviewers, the stressed that the Biogeographical Province concept is datasheets and associated background material, used as a basis for comparison only and does not imply and provides its technical advice to IUCN on that World Heritage properties are to be selected solely recommendations for each nomination. A final on this criteria. In addition, global classification systems, report is prepared and forwarded to the World such as Conservation International Hotspots, WWF Heritage Centre in May for distribution to the Ecoregions, Birdlife International Endemic Bird Areas, members of the World Heritage Committee. IUCN/WWF Centres of Plant Diversity and the IUCN/SSC Habitat Classification, and the recent IUCN Analysis of 5. Final Recommendations. IUCN presents, with the World Heritage List are used to identify properties of the support of images and maps, the results and global significance. The guiding principle is that World recommendations