World Heritage, Wilderness,World and Large Landscapes Seascapes World Heritage, Wilderness, and Large Landscapes and Seascapes Cyril F. Kormos, Tim Badman, Tilman Jaeger, Bastian Bertzky, Remco van Merm, Elena Osipova, Yichuan Shi, Peter Bille Larsen INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE WORLD HEADQUARTERS Rue Mauverney 28 1196 Gland, Switzerland Tel +41 22 999 0000 Fax +41 22 999 0002 www.iucn.org IUCN About IUCN IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together. Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,300 Member organisations and some 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards. IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development. Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being. IUCN is the advisory body on nature to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee. Working closely with IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), the IUCN World Heritage Programme evaluates sites nominated to the World Heritage List, monitors the conservation of listed sites, and provides support, advice and training to site managers, governments, scientists and local communities. IUCN’s World Heritage Programme promotes the World Heritage Convention as a leading global instrument for conservation. Through partnerships and projects, it initiates innovative ways to enhance the role of the Convention in protecting the planet’s biodiversity and in positioning the worlds’ most iconic places as exemplars of nature-based solutions to global challenges. www.iucn.org www.iucn.org/worldheritage About The Christensen Fund The Christensen Fund is a private foundation dedicated to backing the stewards of biocultural diversity. In partnership with Indigenous Peoples and communities in six geographic priority regions, the Fund works at a landscape and community level to support the resilience of living diversity. More information can be found at www.christensenfund.org and www.facebook.com/TheChristensenFund/ World Heritage, Wilderness, and Large Landscapes and Seascapes Cyril F. Kormos, Tim Badman, Tilman Jaeger, Bastian Bertzky, Remco van Merm, Elena Osipova, Yichuan Shi, Peter Bille Larsen The designation of geographical entities in this publication, 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. We note that any comments on cultural values included in this study are fully respectful of the primary roles of ICOMOS and ICCROM as the advisors on cultural heritage to the World Heritage Convention. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN or other participating organizations. The recommendations are without prejudice whatsoever to either the decision of any State Party to consider nominations on its territory, whether mentioned or not mentioned in this volume, or to the potential evaluation of IUCN’s World Heritage Panel (or of the equivalent body in ICOMOS) regarding any future nomination of any property for World Heritage Site status. Published by: IUCN, Gland, Switzerland Copyright: © 2017 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Citation: Cyril F. Kormos, Tim Badman, Tilman Jaeger, Bastian Bertzky, Remco van Merm, Elena Osipova, Yichuan Shi, Peter Bille Larsen (2017). World Heritage, Wilderness and Large Landscapes and Seascapes. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. viii + 70pp. ISBN: 978-2-8317-1847-7 DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.CH.2017.06 Cover photo: Volcanoes of Kamchatka, Russian Federation © Igor Shpilenok Layout by: Guilder Design, Dublin, Ireland (www.guilderdesign.com) Available from: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) World Heritage Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196 Gland Switzerland Tel +41 22 999 0000 Fax +41 22 999 0002 www.iucn.org/resources/publications The text of this publication is printed on paper made from wood fibre from well-managed forests certified in accordance with the rules of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). iii Contents Foreword ...................................................................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................................................ v Abbreviations and acronyms ......................................................................................................................................................... vi Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1: The need for a wilderness and large landscapes and seascapes approach under the World Heritage Convention .......1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................................1 Wilderness defined ........................................................................................................................................................................2 Why wilderness protection is necessary .........................................................................................................................................2 The World Heritage Convention in a nutshell ...............................................................................................................................3 A more systematic approach to wilderness conservation.................................................................................................................3 Chapter 2: People and wilderness conservation ..........................................................................................................................11 Recognizing people and diversity in wilderness ............................................................................................................................11 Recognizing nature – culture linkages ..........................................................................................................................................11 Recognizing the diversity of interlinkages ....................................................................................................................................12 From natural allies to governance specifics and rights ..................................................................................................................15 Recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ and local community rights ......................................................................................................15 Governance mechanisms .............................................................................................................................................................16 Beyond State-centered models .....................................................................................................................................................16 Low-density, low-impact lifestyles ...............................................................................................................................................17 Wilderness, livelihoods and economies ........................................................................................................................................17 Looking forward..........................................................................................................................................................................17 Chapter 3: Current recognition of wilderness values on the World Heritage List ......................................................................21 Remoteness, isolation, or inaccessibility .......................................................................................................................................21 Intactness of ecological processes