Natural World Heritage sites include iconic places such as the Great Barrier Reef, Yellowstone, the Galápagos Islands and Kilimanjaro, and are recognised as the world's most significant protected areas.
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Protecting the planet’s most iconic natural places
We advise
natural sites are monitored by IUCN each year for the World Heritage Committee; 252 are now listed
We assess
of all sites listed up to 2020 are assessed by IUCN as having a positive conservation outlook
We provide knowledge
of sites are threatened by climate change, which is now the top threat to natural World Heritage
How we engage
Natural World Heritage sites are recognised as the planet’s most important protected areas, providing life-supporting benefits to millions of people worldwide. And yet, they are under increasing pressure from climate change, infrastructure development, mining, poaching and other threats.
IUCN is the official advisor on nature to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. IUCN evaluates sites nominated for the World Heritage List and monitors the state of conservation of listed sites. IUCN aims to improve the management of World Heritage sites and enhance the role of the World Heritage Convention in nature conservation and sustainable development.
News
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Khangchendzonga National Park in India was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2016
Photo: IUCN / Tilman Jaeger
IUCN report identifies sites with World Heritage potential in Himalaya and beyond
16.12.2021Gland, Switzerland, 16 December 2021 (IUCN) – A new report lists seven broad areas in the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush and the Karakoram mountain ranges where new natural World Heritage sites could be found. It also identifies possible extensions of existing...
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Photo: Selma Kassem
Conflict and climate change pressures on natural World Heritage in the Arab region
06.12.2021A new report, Tabe’a III, examines for the first time the impacts from conflict in natural World Heritage sites in the Arab States, as well as those from extreme weather conditions. It also looks at the connections between nature and culture in the management...
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Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra, Indonesia
Photo: IUCN / Peter Howard
Human activity and climate change mean forests in 10 UNESCO World Heritage sites were net carbon emitters
28.10.2021The first ever scientific assessment of the amounts of greenhouse gases emitted from and absorbed by forests in UNESCO World Heritage sites has found that at least 10 key sites have been net carbon sources ...
Publications
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Leveraging the World Heritage Convention for conservation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya
Jaeger, Tilman
Language: En
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Learn more
Photo: IUCN/Melissa Marín
Advisor on World Heritage
Photo: Our Place World Heritage
IUCN World Heritage Outlook
Photo: IUCN/Paul Dingwall
Global World Heritage projects
Photo: IUCN/Wendy Strahm
World Heritage and Climate Change
Quick reads
Aimed at policy-makers and journalists, IUCN Issues Briefs provide key information on selected issues in a two-pager format.
Natural World Heritage
One in five (23%) sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List are natural sites, most often protected areas such as national parks or nature reserves. Natural World Heritage sites are globally recognised...
