Protected areas

Protecting natural areas and ecosystems is not anti-development. This report shows that by conserving large areas of habitat, natural World Heritage sites also increase resilience to natural and weather-related disasters, support livelihoods for communities, and provide communities with vital protection against the impacts of climate change.

The IUCN protected area management categories is a core document for the development, reporting and understanding of protected areas worldwide. In this reprint of the 2008 categories new text on Recognising Protected Areas and Assigning Management Categories and Governance Types, drawing on global best practice and extensive consultation, provides guidance on implementing the categories.

World Heritage sites are examples of critical natural capital that must be protected. This report highlights the increasingly important and urgent role that banks need to play in helping to safeguard natural World Heritage sites now and for future generations. Banks have a unique responsibility to ensure that lending decisions are made on a sound and sustainable basis. 

This thematic study focuses on the contribution the World Heritage Convention can make to wilderness conservation around the world. It provides pragmatic guidance to the Convention and its many partners for strengthening protection of wilderness by promoting the profound linkages between culture and wild nature.

Tabe'a II is a second more detailed analysis of the Arab region's World Heritage Programme based on the baseline established in the first report from 2011, as well as of the progress achieved since then.