WHC-15/39.COM/INF.8B2 IUCN Evaluations of Nominations of Natural and Mixed Properties to the World Heritage List th IUCN Report for the World Heritage Committee, 39 Session Bonn, Germany, 28 June - 8 July 2015 Cover page photo: Son Doong cave lower doline © Howard Limbert 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 South Africa – Cape Floral Region Protected Areas [extension of the property “Cape Floral Region Protected Areas”] 3 Arab States Sudan – Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay - Mukkawar Island Marine National Park 15 Asia / Pacific Mongolia / Russian Federation – Landscapes of Dauria 29 Thailand – Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex 41 Viet Nam – Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park [renomination under (ix) and (x) and extension of “Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park”] 53 A2. Minor Boundary Modifications of Natural Properties Europe / North America Russian Federation – Lena Pillars Nature Park See document WHC-15/39.COM/INF.8B2.Add Latin America / Caribbean Panama – Darien National Park See document WHC-15/39.COM/INF.8B2.Add B. Mixed Properties Page n° B1. New Nominations of Mixed Properties Latin America / Caribbean Jamaica – Blue and John Crow Mountains 69 C. Cultural Properties Page n° C1. New nominations of Cultural Landscapes Asia / Pacific Mongolia – Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and its surrounding sacred landscape 83 Singapore – Singapore Botanic Gardens 87 Europe / North America Spain – La Rioja and Rioja Alavesa Wine and Vineyard Cultural Landscape 91 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 ( ( ( ( (ID number) dation rotection in in rotection 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 Recommen Cape Floral Region South Africa Protected Areas Extension − − yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no I (1007 Bis) Sanganeb Marine NP and Dungonab Bay - Sudan part no part part no no no no part no no yes D Mukkawar Island Marine NP (262 Rev) Mongolia / Landscapes of Dauria Russian − − no no no no no − no part no yes D (1448) Federaition Kaeng Krachan Thailand Forest Complex − − − part part yes yes − yes yes yes yes R (1461) Phong Nha – Ke Bang Renomination Viet Nam National Park − yes yes yes yes yes part − yes yes part no I Extension (951 Rev) Blue and John Crow Jamaica Mountains Mixed site − − no yes yes yes yes − yes yes part no I (1356 Rev) KEYS yes met I inscribe / approve part partially met N I non inscribe no not met R refer ̶ not applicable D defer ALPHABETICAL INDEX State Party ID No. Property Page Jamaica 1356 Rev Blue and John Crow Mountains 69 Mongolia / 1447 Landscapes of Dauria 29 Russian Federation South Africa 1007 Bis Cape Floral Region Protected Areas (extension) 3 Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay - Mukkawar Island Sudan 262 Rev 15 Marine National Park Thailand 1461 Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex 41 Viet Nam 951 Rev Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (renomination and extension) 53 IUCN FIELD EVALUATORS Site Name Cape Floral Region Protected Areas (extension) Bastian Bertzky Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay - Naomi Doak & Hany El Shaer Mukkawar Island Marine National Park Landscapes of Dauria Maja Vasilijevic & Wendy Strahm Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex Bruce Jefferies Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (renomination and Josephine Langley & Hag Young Heo extension) Blue and John Crow Mountains Melissa Marin & Tilman Jaeger 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 April 2015 1. INTRODUCTION international earth science unions, nongovernmental organizations and scientific contacts in universities and This technical evaluation report of natural and mixed other international agencies. This highlights the properties nominated for inclusion on the World considerable “added value” from investing in the use of Heritage List has been conducted by the World the extensive networks of IUCN and partner Heritage Programme of IUCN (International Union for institutions. Conservation of Nature). The World Heritage Programme co-ordinates IUCN’s input to the World These networks allow for the increasing involvement of Heritage Convention in close cooperation with the regional natural heritage experts and broaden the IUCN Global Protected Areas Programme (GPAP) and capacity of IUCN with regard to its work under the other units of IUCN both at headquarters and in the World Heritage Convention. Reports from field regions. It also works closely with IUCN’s World missions and comments from a large number of Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), the world’s external reviewers are comprehensively examined by leading expert network of protected area managers the IUCN World Heritage Panel. The IUCN World and specialists, and other Commissions, members and Heritage Programme then prepares the final technical partners of IUCN. evaluation reports which are presented in this document and represent the corporate position of IUCN’s evaluations are conducted according to the IUCN on World Heritage evaluations. IUCN has also Operational Guidelines that the World Heritage placed emphasis on providing input and support to Committee has agreed, and which are the essential ICOMOS in relation to those cultural landscapes which framework for the application of the evaluation have important natural values. process. In carrying out its function under the World Heritage Convention, IUCN has been guided by four IUCN has extended its cooperation with ICOMOS, principles: including coordination in relation to the evaluation of mixed sites and cultural landscapes. IUCN and (i) ensuring the highest standards of quality ICOMOS have also enhanced the coordination of their control, institutional memory and consistency panel processes as requested by the World Heritage in relation to technical evaluation, monitoring Committee. This cooperation will be reported in Item and other associated activities; 5B and other relevant items of the Committee’s agenda. (ii) increasing the use of specialist networks of IUCN, especially WCPA, but also other In 2014-15 IUCN has continued to work on the relevant IUCN Commissions and specialist Upstream Process, as will be debated in the relevant partner networks; items on the Committee’s agenda. (iii) working in support of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and States Parties to examine 2. EVALUATION PROCESS how IUCN can creatively and effectively support the World Heritage Convention and In carrying out the technical evaluation of nominations individual properties as “flagships” for IUCN is guided by the Operational Guidelines to the conservation; and World Heritage Convention. The evaluation process is carried out over the period of one year, from the (iv) increasing the level of effective partnership receipt of nominations at IUCN in March and the between IUCN and the World Heritage Centre, submission of the IUCN evaluation report to the World ICOMOS and ICCROM. Heritage Centre in May of the following year. The process involves the following steps: Members of the expert network of WCPA carry out the majority of technical evaluation missions, supported by 1. External Review. The nomination is sent to other specialists where appropriate. The WCPA independent experts knowledgeable about the network now totals more than 1700 protected area property or its natural values, including managers and specialists from 140 countries. In members of WCPA, other IUCN specialist addition, the World Heritage Programme calls on Commissions and scientific networks or NGOs relevant experts from IUCN’s other five Commissions working in the region. IUCN received almost (Species Survival, Environmental Law, Education and 100 external reviews in relation to the Communication, Ecosystem Management, and properties examined in 2014 / 2015. Environmental, Economic and Social Policy); from IUCN Evaluation Report – April 2015 i 2. Field Mission. Missions involving one or more • Directly after the field mission. Based on IUCN and external experts evaluate the discussions during the field mission, IUCN nominated property on the ground and discuss may send an official letter requesting the nomination with the relevant national and supplementary information before the IUCN local authorities, local communities, NGOs and World Heritage Panel meets in December, to other stakeholders. Missions usually take ensure that the Panel has all the information place between July and October. In the case necessary to make a recommendation on the of mixed properties and certain cultural nomination; and landscapes, missions are jointly implemented with ICOMOS. • After the first meeting of the IUCN World Heritage Panel (December). If the Panel finds 3. IUCN World Heritage