UNESCO Natural World Heritage
Implementing the World Heritage Convention in Germany
As a signatory state to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, Germany has pledged to preserve natural and cultural heritage of Outstanding Universal Value. Under Article 3 of the Convention, it is the responsibility of the States Parties to identify their potential World Heritage sites.
Description
In the course of implementing the World Heritage Convention in the area of natural heritage, BfN advises the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) and supports the German Länder (states) in identifying and preparing nominations for sites to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Various research and development (R&D) projects are conducted in the process.
In a research and development project, natural properties and organically evolved cultural landscapes in Germany were assessed for their potential to be nominated as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Serial nominations (comprising multiple areas) and transboundary nominations were also considered, reflecting the fact that many of Europe’s natural assets can only be fully appreciated in an international context. The German Wadden Sea was excluded because it was already on Germany’s Tentative List at the time of the study.
The study indicated potential for the nomination of German beech forests as Natural World Heritage. This was taken up and examined in a more detail in a feasibility study.
On 25 June 2011, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee inscribed the expansion of the Slovakian-Ukrainian Beech Forest Natural World Heritage site (The Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians) via Germany’s beech forest cluster, “The Ancient Beech Forests of Germany”. On 7 July 2017, the UNESCO Committee again expanded the existing World Heritage site, “Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech forests of Germany”. Some 94 beech forests in 18 European countries were added to the World Heritage list. The expanded World Heritage site now bears the name “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe”.
At the end of June 2009, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee added the Wadden Sea to the World Heritage list.
In June 2011, the World Heritage Committee approved a change to the site boundary and thus the expansion of the Hamburg Wadden Sea National Park. In 2014, the area was expanded to include the missing Danish section.
With the nomination of the Wadden Sea as a Natural World Heritage site, the three countries (Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands) fulfil their obligations under the World Heritage Convention. The Wadden Sea is a valuable ecosystem which is being preserved as a transnational World Heritage site for current and future generations.
BfN plays an active role in the trilateral World Heritage Working Group, currently acting as the lead agency. The working group drafted the World Heritage Management Plan for the trilateral site.
Based on the requirements of the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, a feasibility study (conducted by the Institute of Landscape Architecture at the University of Freiburg and Agrathear, a consultancy for strategic land use) looked at the outstanding natural and cultural values and the associated areas of the Green Belt in Germany and Europe, and compared the Green Belt with similar sites worldwide.
The study examined potentially outstanding, universal values, possible nomination criteria, the status of integrity (state of conservation and natural condition) and authenticity, as well as protection and management mechanisms for a potential World Heritage site.
UNESCO Natural World Heritage Beech Forests
In 2011, five beech forests in Germany were inscribed as part of a transnational series of Natural World Heritage sites. Today, these comprise 18 countries and some 94 component areas from Spain to Ukraine. BfN provides expert support to these Natural World Heritage sites.
Description
BfN provides expert support to the Natural World Heritage sites. The following outlines the process in nominating the German beech forests as well as information regarding the European Heritage Beech Forests research project.
On 25 June 2011, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee confirmed the expansion of the Natural World Heritage sites (Slovakian-Ukrainian Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians, inscribed in 2007) via the German beech forest cluster: Ancient Beech Forests of Germany. The cluster involves selected areas of the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park in Hesse, the Hainich National Park in Thuringia and the Jasmund National Park and Müritz National Park in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, as well as the Grumsin Beech Forest strictly protected zone in the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve in Brandenburg. The decision for the nomination was based on the results of the feasibility study mentioned above.
With the nomination of German beech forests, Germany has a special responsibility to protect and preserve the beech forests in Europe.
Following the nomination of the trilateral beech forest areas in Germany, Slovakia and Ukraine as Natural World Heritage sites in 2011, the World Heritage Committee called upon the three countries to continue their efforts and identify additional beech forests worthy of protection.
The aim of the European Heritage Beech Forests research project was to investigate the potential for a conclusive serial nomination of European beech forests and thereby guarantee the protection and preservation of these unique ecosystems.
In the course of the project, the main aim was to support the scientific, technical and organisational processes involved in a potential expansion nomination. To identify potential forests, areas proposed by experts or identified by the competent authorities were subjected to an expert assessment with regard to the criteria to be met for World Heritage nomination. In a number of expert workshops, an agreement was finally reached on potential candidate areas.
In 2017 and again in 2021, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided in favour of expanding the site. The expanded World Heritage site now bears the name “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe”. It comprises 94 beech forest areas measuring some 100,000 hectares in 18 countries in total.
Grünes Band (Green Belt) feasibility study
Does the Green Belt – the historical cultural and natural landscape along the former inner-German border – have what it takes for nomination as a World Heritage Site?
This was the focus of an R&D project that used various scenarios to explore the challenges and opportunities of a potential nomination.
Natural World Heritage and ecosystem services
In the face of growing pressures surrounding use of UNESCOWorld Heritage sites, evaluating the ecosystem services and benefits of Natural World Heritage sites and communicating these to local populations play an important role.
Transnational expansion of the Hyrcanian Forests World Heritage Site
The project to support Azerbaijan and Iran in the transboundary extension of the Hyrcanian Forests World Heritage Site is financed using funding from the advisory assistance programme run by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), and overseen by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN).
Following the successful nomination in July 2019 of the Hyrcanian Forests in Iran as a serial World Heritage Site, the aim of the follow-on project is to achieve a joint extension that also includes an area in Azerbaijan and thereby integrates the remaining sections of these ancient forests. As part of the project, Azerbaijan receives technical support in preparing its nomination dossier. Iran also receives advice in implementing the requirements set out by the World Heritage Committee in its decision 43COM 8B.4.
Feasibility study for nominating Georgia’s Colchis forests and wetlands as a UNESCO natural World Heritage site
The Colchis forests are part of the Caucasus in Western Georgia. They comprise wetlands and ecosystems with unique biodiversity. The aim of the project to nominate the forests as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site was to protect them by heightening international awareness. A feasibility study explored the suitability of the forests as a Natural World Heritage Site.
Based on the outcome of the study, local stakeholders were assisted in preparing a nomination proposal and developing a transboundary management plan. The nomination proposal was submitted to UNESCO in January 2019. In 2021, the World Heritage Committee decided to add the site to the World Heritage List.
The Landscapes of Dauria – Nomination as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site
A feasibility study assessed the suitability of the Landscapes of Dauria (Russian Federation/Mongolia) for nomination as a Natural World Heritage Site. On the basis of the results, local stakeholders were supported in developing a nomination dossier.
The shared World Heritage Site was designated by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee as the Landscapes of Dauria in 2017. It comprises both steppes and important wetlands. The designation recognises long-standing transboundary cooperation and provides an important protected area for migrating birds and Mongolian antelopes along their respective migratory routes.
