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Marine Natural Heritage and the World Heritage List : Interpretation of World Heritage Criteria in Marine Systems, Analysis of Biogeographic Representation of Sites, and a Roadmap for Addressing Gaps

Abdulla, Ameer Awad et Obura, David et Bertzky, Bastian et Shi, Yichuan (2013). Marine Natural Heritage and the World Heritage List : Interpretation of World Heritage Criteria in Marine Systems, Analysis of Biogeographic Representation of Sites, and a Roadmap for Addressing Gaps. [Monographie]

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Résumé

The World Heritage Convention provides the potential for a comprehensive legal and policy framework that allows for the identification, management, governance, and protection of the world´s most outstanding natural marine areas. There are currently 46 sites included in the World Heritage List that have been designated primarily for their marine natural features of Outstanding Universal Value. In addition to these 46 sites, 25 other natural and mixed WH sites contain marine areas or features of marine interest. For future designations, this study suggests a framework of 16 broad themes of marine and ocean features to which natural World Heritage criteria might be applied in the development of mWHS. In regard to criterion (vii), the study recommends the criterion be invoked (for the largest, fastest, highest, deepest, etc.) for a natural feature, but usually (but not exclusively) that feature will have satisfied one of the other three natural criteria in addition to criterion (vii). Extending the application of the World Heritage Convention to the marine environment requires a significant expansion of features that could be classed under criterion (viii). From a focus on geology and geomorphology, this criterion most naturally is able to encompass the physical components of oceanography. Finally, in keeping with the recent World Heritage thematic study on terrestrial biodiversity, this report recommends that ecosystems, communities and the processes that underpin them be considered under criterion (ix), while criterion (x) is used with a focus on species, in particular of threatened species with high global value, and the importance of key sites and habitats in achieving their survival. Currently, there is a relatively small number (46 of 981 or 4.7%) of WHS that have been inscribed for their outstanding marine values, and these marine WHS represent predominantly tropical ecosystems as opposed to temperate and polar ecosystems. A large majority of the world’s 62 nearshore biogeographic provinces (47 provinces or 76%) do not contain any mWHS or contain a low (<1%) coverage that is not likely to capture the full range of values and features present in these provinces. Finally, a large proportion of the world’s offshore provinces, representing 40% of all global oceans, do not contain any mWHS. In order to fulfill the World Heritage Committee’s Global Strategy of developing a representative, balanced and credible World Heritage List, States Parties are encouraged to increase their efforts, with the support of IUCN, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, and regional and global marine scientists and conservationists, to identify and nominate marine sites of potential OUV, especially in biogeographic regions that are not yet represented, or underrepresented, on the WH List.

Type de document: Monographie
Informations complémentaires: Autres organismes impliqués : CMAP (Commission mondiale des aires protégées/ World Commission on Protected Areas), MAVA Fondation pour la nature, UNEP (Programme des Nations Unies pour l’environnement/ United Nations Environment Programme)
Mots-clés libres: Marine Naturel Heritage Monde Interpretation Critere Ecosysteme Analyse Biogeographique Representation Site Feuille Route Presentation IUCN International Union Conservation Nature
Organismes: Organisations non gouvernementales > Internationales > UICN (Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature / International Union for the Conservation of Nature)
Déposé par: Aires Marines
Date de dépôt: 01 déc. 2014 16:55
Dernière modification: 22 févr. 2016 16:12
URI: https://aires-marines.uqar.ca/id/eprint/51

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