IUCN Evaluations of Nominations of Natural and Mixed Properties to the World Heritage List WHC.10/34.COM/INF.8B2 IUCN Report, May 2010 for the World Heritage Committee, 34th Session, Brasilia, Brazil July-August 2010 IUCN Evaluation of Nominations of Natural and Mixed Properties to the World Heritage List 2010 Table of Contents Page Nº Introduction i A. Natural Properties A1 New Nominations of Natural Properties Asia / Pacifi c China - China Danxia 3 Kiribati – Phoenix Islands Protected Area 17 Tajikistan - Tajik National Park (Mountains of the Pamirs) 27 Europe / North America France - Pitons, cirques et remparts de l’île de La Réunion 37 A2 Deferred Nominations of Natural Properties Europe / North America Portugal/Spain - Dinosaur Ichnites of the Iberian Peninsula 51 Russian Federation - Putorana Plateau 65 A3 Extensions of Natural Properties Europe / North America Bulgaria - Pirin National Park 79 Italy - Monte San Giorgio 93 A4 Boundary Modifi cations of Natural Properties Asia / Pacifi c China – Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas 107 Europe / North America Germany - Messel Pit Fossil Site 123 B Mixed Properties B1 New Nominations of Mixed Properties Asia / Pacifi c Sri Lanka - Central Highlands of Sri Lanka: 131 its Cultural and Natural Heritage Europe / North America United States of America - Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument 145 B2 Boundary Modifi cations of Mixed Properties Asia / Pacifi c Australia – Tasmanian Wilderness 161 Page Nº C. Cultural Properties C1 New nominations of Cultural Landscapes Africa Ethiopia - Konso Cultural Landscape 169 Europe / North America Norway - Røros Mining Town and the Circumference (extension) 173 United Kingdom - Darwin’s Landscape Laboratory 177 Latin America / Caribbean Mexico - Prehistoric Caves of Yagul and Mitla in the Central Valley of Oaxaca 181 C2 Renominations of Natural Properties under Cultural Criteria Africa United Republic of Tanzania - Ngorongoro Conservation Area 187 Numerical Index ID Nº State Party Property Page Nº United Republic of Ngorongoro Conservation Area 39 Bis 187 Tanzania 55 Bis Norway Røros Mining Town and the Circumference (extension) 173 81 Bis Australia Tasmanian Wilderness 161 225 Bis Bulgaria Pirin National Park 79 720 Germany Messel Pit Fossil Site 123 1083 China Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas 107 1090 Bis Italy Monte San Giorgio 93 Central Highlands of Sri Lanka: its Cultural and Natural 1203 Sri Lanka 131 Heritage 1204 Rev Portugal/Spain Dinosaur Ichnites of the Iberian Peninsula 51 1234 Rev Russian Federation Putorana Plateau 65 1247 United Kingdom Darwin’s Landscape Laboratory 177 1252 Takikistan Tajik National Park 27 1317 France Pitons, cirques et remparts de l’Ile de la Réunion 37 1325 Kiribati Phoenix Islands Protected Area 17 United States of America - Papahānaumokuākea Marine 1326 USA 145 National Monument 1333 Ethiopia Konso Cultural Landscape 169 1335 China China Danxia 3 Prehistoric Caves of Yagul and Mitla in the Central Valley of 1352 Mexico 181 Oaxaca THE WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION IUCN TECHNICAL EVALUATION REPORT OF WORLD HERITAGE NOMINATIONS May 2010 1. INTRODUCTION in universities and other international agencies. This highlights the considerable “added value” from This technical evaluation report of natural and investing in the use of the extensive networks of mixed properties nominated for inclusion on the IUCN and partner institutions. World Heritage List has been conducted by the Programme on Protected Areas (PPA) and the These networks allow for the increasing involvement World Heritage Programme of IUCN (International of regional natural heritage experts and broaden Union for Conservation of Nature). In close the capacity of IUCN with regard to its work under cooperation with PPA and other units of IUCN both the World Heritage Convention. Reports from fi eld at headquarters and in the fi eld the World Heritage missions and comments from a large number of Programme co-ordinates IUCN’s input to the World external reviewers are comprehensively examined Heritage Convention. It also works closely with by the IUCN World Heritage Panel. The IUCN IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas programmes on World Heritage and Protected (WCPA), the world’s leading expert network of Areas then prepare the fi nal technical evaluation protected area managers and specialists, and other reports which are presented in this document Commissions, members and partners of IUCN. and represent the corporate position of IUCN on World Heritage evaluations. IUCN has also In carrying out its function under the World placed emphasis on providing input and support Heritage Convention, IUCN has been guided by to ICOMOS in relation to those cultural landscapes four principles: which have important natural values. During 2009 IUCN has extended its cooperation with ICOMOS, (i) ensuring the highest standards of including coordination in relation to the evaluation quality control and institutional memory of mixed sites and cultural landscapes. IUCN and in relation to technical evaluation, ICOMOS have also enhanced the coordination of monitoring and other associated activities; their panel processes as requested by the World Heritage Committee. (ii) increasing the use of specialist networks of IUCN, especially WCPA, but also other In 2005, IUCN commissioned an external review relevant IUCN Commissions and specialist of its work on World Heritage evaluations, which networks; was carried out by Professor Christina Cameron and resulted in a number of recommendations to (iii) working in support of the UNESCO World improve IUCN’s work. The review and the IUCN Heritage Centre and States Parties to management response are available on IUCN’s examine how IUCN can creatively and World Heritage website. effectively support the World Heritage Convention and individual properties as Further to progress reported on the implementation “fl agships” for conservation; and of the review’s recommendations in 2009, IUCN has continued to progress in the implementation (iv) increasing the level of effective partnership of all proposed recommendations. In 2009-10 between IUCN and the World Heritage the regional representation and gender balance Centre, ICOMOS and ICCROM. of the selected evaluators and on the IUCN World Heritage Panel have been further enhanced. Members of the expert network of WCPA carry out IUCN has invested signifi cantly since 2007 with the majority of technical evaluation missions. The its own resources in strengthening its work on WCPA network now totals more than 1400 protected World Heritage, with a strong fi nancial contribution area managers and specialists from 140 countries. towards the position of head of the newly created In addition, the World Heritage Programme World Heritage Programme. Further enhancements has called on experts from IUCN’s other fi ve to IUCN work on World Heritage require signifi cant Commissions (Species Survival, Environmental additional funding, both from the World Heritage Law, Education and Communication, Ecosystem Fund and other partners and agencies. Management, and Environmental, Economic and Social Policy), from international earth science unions, other IUCN Global Programmes, non- governmental organizations and scientifi c contacts IUCN Evaluation Report, May 2010 i 2. EVALUATION PROCESS It should be noted that IUCN seeks to develop and In carrying out the technical evaluation of maintain a dialogue with the State Party throughout nominations IUCN is guided by the Operational the evaluation process to allow the State Party every Guidelines to the World Heritage Convention. The opportunity to supply all the necessary information evaluation process is carried out over the period of and to clarify any questions or issues that may one year, from the receipt of nominations at IUCN arise. For this reason, there are three occasions at in March or April and the submission of the IUCN which IUCN may request further information from evaluation report to the World Heritage Centre in the State Party. These are: May of the following year. The process outlined at the end of this introduction involves the following • Before the fi eld mission. IUCN sends the steps: State Party, usually directly to the person organising the mission in the host country, 1. Data Assembly. A standardised data sheet a briefi ng on the mission, in many cases is compiled on the nominated property by raising specifi c questions and issues that UNEP’s World Conservation Monitoring should be discussed during the mission. This Centre (UNEP-WCMC), using the allows the State Party to prepare properly in nomination document, the World Database advance; on Protected Areas and other available reference material. • Directly after the fi eld mission. Based on discussions during the fi eld mission, 2. External Review. The nomination is sent to IUCN may send an offi cial letter requesting independent experts knowledgeable about supplementary information before the IUCN the property or its natural values, including World Heritage Panel meets in December, to members of WCPA, other IUCN specialist ensure that the Panel has all the information commissions and scientifi c networks or necessary to make a recommendation on NGOs working in the region. IUCN received the nomination; and more than 200 external reviews in relation to the properties examined in 2009 / 2010. • After the IUCN World Heritage Panel. If the Panel fi nds some questions are still 3. Field Mission. Missions involving one or unanswered or further issues need to be more IUCN and external experts