IUCN Evaluations of Nominations of Natural and Mixed Properties to the World Heritage List

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IUCN Evaluations of Nominations of Natural and Mixed Properties to the World Heritage List WHC/17/41.COM/INF.8B2 IUCN World Heritage Evaluations 2017 IUCN Evaluations of nominations of natural and mixed properties to the World Heritage List IUCN REPORT FOR THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE, 41ST SESSION, KRAKÓW, POLAND, 2-12 JULY 2017 Cover page photo: Los Alerces National Park, Argentina © IUCN/T. Jaeger 2016 IUCN Evaluations of Nominations of Natural and Mixed Properties to the World Heritage List Table of Contents Executive summary table Alphabetical index and IUCN field evaluators Introduction A. Natural Properties Page n° A1. New Nominations of Natural Properties Africa Benin/Burkina Faso – W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (extension of W – Niger) 3 Ghana – Mole National Park 17 Asia / Pacific China – Qinghai Hoh Xil 29 India – Bhitarkanika Conservation Area 43 Europe / North America Albania/Austria/Belgium/Bulgaria/Croatia/Italy/Romania/Slovenia/Spain/Ukraine – Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe 55 Latin America / Caribbean Argentina – Los Alerces National Park 73 A2. Referred Nominations of Natural Properties Asia / Pacific Mongolia/Russian Federation – Landscapes of Dauria See document WHC/17/41.COM/INF.8B2.ADD A3. Minor Boundary Modifications of Natural Properties Asia / Pacific India – Manas Wildlife Sanctuary See document WHC/17/41.COM/INF.8B2.ADD India – Western Ghats See document WHC/17/41.COM/INF.8B2.ADD B. Mixed Properties Page n° B1. New Nominations of Mixed Properties Latin America / Caribbean Mexico – Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley: originary habitat of Mesoamerica 89 B2. Minor Boundary Modifications of Mixed Properties Asia / Pacific China – Mount Wuyi See document WHC/17/41.COM/INF.8B2.ADD C. Cultural Properties Page n° C1. New Nominations of Cultural Landscapes Africa South Africa – ǂKhomani Cultural Landscape 103 Europe / North America Denmark – Kujataa – a subarctic farming landscape in Greenland 107 France – Taputapuātea 111 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – The English Lake District 115 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TABLE OF IUCN EVALUATIONS TO THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE Meets protection and Meets one or more natural criteria Meets conditions of integrity management Name of the requirements State ) / Note ) ) ) property vii viii ix x Party ( ( ( ( n in (ID number) rotectio Criterion Criterion Criterion Criterion Criterion Integrity Boundaries Threats addressed Justification of serial approach Protection status Management zone Buffer P surrounding arrea Paragraphs of the Operational 78, 108- required ission Guidelines for the 118, 77 77 77 77 78, 87-95 99-102 78, 98 137 78, 132.4 103-107 Implementation of the World 132.4, Heritage Convention 135 m Further IUCN Recommendation W-Arly-Pendjari Benin / Bukina Complex (extension of ̶ ̶ yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no I Faso W – Niger) (749 Bis) Mole National Park Ghana no ̶ no no no no yes ̶ yes part part no N (1514) Qinghai Hoh Xil China yes ̶ ̶ yes yes yes yes ̶ yes yes yes no I (1540) Bhitarkanika India Conservation Area no ̶ no no no no no ̶ no no no no N (1530) Albania / Austria / Belgium / Bulgaria / Primeval Beech Forests Croatia / Italy / of the Carpathians and ̶ ̶ no ̶ no part yes no part part part yes D Romania / Other Regions of Slovenia / Europe (1133 Ter) Spain / Ukraine OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE Meets protection and Meets one or more natural criteria Meets conditions of integrity management Name of the requirements State ) / Note ) ) ) property vii viii ix x Party ( ( ( ( n in (ID number) rotectio Criterion Criterion Criterion Criterion Criterion Integrity Boundaries Threats addressed Justification of serial approach Protection status Management zone Buffer P surrounding arrea Paragraphs of the Operational 78, 108- required ission Guidelines for the 118, 77 77 77 77 78, 87-95 99-102 78, 98 137 78, 132.4 103-107 Implementation of the World 132.4, Heritage Convention 135 m Further IUCN Recommendation Los Alerces National Argentina Park part ̶ ̶ part part part part ̶ part yes part no I (1526) Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Mexico Valley: originary habitat ̶ ̶ ̶ part part no part yes part no part yes D of Mesoamerica (1534) KEYS yes met I inscribe / approve part partially met N non inscribe / approve no not met R refer ̶ not applicable D defer ALPHABETICAL INDEX State Party ID No. Property Page Albania / Austria / Belgium / Bulgaria / Croatia / Italy / 1133 Ter Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe 55 Romania / Slovenia / Spain / Ukraine Argentina 1526 Los Alerces National Park 73 Benin / Burkina 749 Bis W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (extension of W – Niger) 3 Faso China 1540 Qinghai Hoh Xil 29 Ghana 1514 Mole National Park 17 India 1530 Bhitarkanika Conservation Area 43 Mexico 1534 Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley: orginary habitat of Mesoamerica 89 IUCN FIELD EVALUATORS Site Name Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Kumiko Yoneda, Josephine Langley, Elena Osipova Regions of Europe Lu Zhi, David Mihalic Los Alerces National Park Paula Bueno and Tilman Jaeger W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (extension of W – Niger) Thierry Lefebvre Qinghai Hoh Xil Carlo Ossola and Chimed Ochir-Bazarsad Mole National Park Wendy Strahm and Oscar Mthimkhulu Bhitarkanika Conservation Area Naomi Doak and Remco van Merm Sila National Park Gerhard Heiss Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley: originary habitat Thora Amend of Mesoamerica It should be noted that the IUCN field evaluators are part of a broader evaluation approach detailed in the introduction of this report. THE WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION IUCN TECHNICAL EVALUATION REPORT OF WORLD HERITAGE NOMINATIONS MAY 2017 1. INTRODUCTION other five Commissions (Species Survival, Environmental Law, Education and Communication, This technical evaluation report of natural and mixed Ecosystem Management, and Environmental, properties nominated for inclusion on the World Economic and Social Policy); from international earth Heritage List has been conducted by the World science unions, non-governmental organizations and Heritage Programme of IUCN (International Union for scientific contacts in universities and other Conservation of Nature). The World Heritage international agencies. This highlights the considerable Programme co-ordinates IUCN’s input to the World “added value” from investing in the use of the Heritage Convention in close cooperation with the extensive networks of IUCN and partner institutions. IUCN Global Protected Areas Programme (GPAP) and other units of IUCN both at headquarters and in the These networks allow for the increasing involvement of regions. It also works particularly closely with IUCN’s regional natural heritage experts and broaden the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), the capacity of IUCN with regard to its work under the world’s leading expert network of protected area World Heritage Convention. Reports from field managers and specialists, with the IUCN Species missions and comments from a large number of Survival Commission (SSC) and other IUCN external reviewers are comprehensively examined by Commissions, as well as the many members and the IUCN World Heritage Panel, as key inputs to each partners of IUCN. evaluation. The IUCN World Heritage Programme prepares the final technical evaluation reports which IUCN’s evaluations are conducted according to the are presented in this document and represent the Operational Guidelines that the World Heritage corporate position of IUCN on World Heritage Committee has agreed, and which are the essential evaluations. IUCN has also placed emphasis on framework for the application of the evaluation providing input and support to ICOMOS in relation to process. This framework was updated and revised in those cultural landscapes which have important natural 2015, and a revised process documented in Annex 6 values. of the Operational Guidelines, following discussion by the World Heritage Committee. In carrying out its IUCN has continued to extend its cooperation with function under the World Heritage Convention, IUCN ICOMOS, including coordination in relation to the has been guided by four principles: evaluation of mixed sites and cultural landscapes. IUCN and ICOMOS have also enhanced the (i) ensuring the highest standards of quality control, coordination of their panel processes as requested by institutional memory and consistency in relation to the World Heritage Committee. This cooperation was technical evaluation, monitoring and other reported at the 40th Session of the World Heritage associated activities; Committee, and will be discussed under Item 9B this year, where IUCN and ICOMOS exchanged and (ii) increasing the use of specialist networks of IUCN, coordinated their advice to the Committee, as also especially WCPA, but also other relevant IUCN noted in the relevant specific reports. Commissions and specialist partner networks; IUCN has endeavoured wherever possible to work in (iii) working in support of the UNESCO World the spirit of the Upstream Process, as will be debated Heritage Centre and States Parties to examine in the relevant items on the Committee’s agenda how IUCN can creatively and effectively support the World Heritage Convention and individual properties as “flagships” for conservation; and 2. EVALUATION PROCESS (iv) increasing the level of effective partnership In carrying out the technical evaluation of nominations between IUCN and the World Heritage Centre, IUCN is guided by the Operational Guidelines to the ICOMOS and ICCROM. World Heritage Convention, specifically Annex 6 which spells out the
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