In News:

• The IUCN World Heritage Outlook 4, to be launched at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi, represents the world’s most comprehensive periodic evaluation of the conservation status of UNESCO natural and mixed World Heritage Sites.
• Conducted every 3–5 years by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), it provides an independent, transparent assessment of protection efforts, threats, and future prospects for these globally significant ecosystems.

Purpose and Significance

The Outlook functions as a global conservation barometer designed to:

• Monitor the state of conservation of natural World Heritage Sites
• Highlight exemplary site management and transfer of best practices
• Provide early warnings for ecological degradation and governance failures
• Bridge data gaps through expert-led evaluation and advanced monitoring tools
• Showcase the societal and ecological benefits of natural heritage, including livelihoods, disaster resilience, and carbon storage

This mechanism complements UNESCO’s statutory monitoring under the 1972 World Heritage Convention, strengthening global efforts to realize the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) targets by 2030.

Global Conservation Outlook: Key Findings (2025)

• ~65% of sites show stable or improving health since 2020, reflecting enhanced governance and restoration actions. Example: Galápagos Islands, Yellowstone National Park
• Over 80% of sites face direct climate threats—coral bleaching, glacier retreat, wildfires. Example: Great Barrier Reef
• ≈60% experience pressures from invasive species, habitat loss, and unsustainable resource use
• Marine sites like Komodo National Park (Indonesia) and Aldabra Atoll (Seychelles) show progress through sustainable tourism and science-based management
• Technology integration (AI, satellite mapping, eDNA) is improving real-time monitoring. Example: AI-enabled wildlife tracking in Okavango Delta
• Around 15 sites have moved into the Danger List due to conflict, pollution, and climate impacts
• Natural World Heritage sites hold ~10% of global terrestrial carbon, underlining their climate role

Natural World Heritage: Global Profile (2024)

• 271 sites with natural Outstanding Universal Value
  • 231 natural, 40 mixed
• 22% of all World Heritage properties (1,223 total)
• Over 470 million hectares protected across land and sea
• Represent ~8% of global protected area coverage
• Spread across 115 countries
  • Africa: 47
  • Asia-Pacific: 85
  • Europe & North America: 83
  • Latin America & Caribbean: 47
  • Arab region: 9
• 18 transboundary sites; 15 in Danger List

India: Trends and Insights

India hosts 7 natural and mixed World Heritage Sites, spanning the Himalayas to coastal wetlands, constituting ~1.5% of global natural WH coverage.

Positive developments

• Kaziranga&Manas: Improved biodiversity and anti-poaching success through community stewardship and regulated ecotourism

Sites of concern

• Sundarbans: Declining mangroves due to salinity rise, cyclones, and sea-level change
• Western Ghats: Pressures from mining, infrastructure, and land-use conflicts
• Nanda Devi & Great Himalayan National Park: Glacial melt and invasive species affecting Himalayan watersheds

Policy support

• Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022
• LiFE Mission for sustainable lifestyles aligned with KM-GBF
• Funding gaps: ~30–40% higher financial allocation needed, especially for marine and transboundary sites

Major Challenges

Recommendations

• Climate-resilient planning: Integrate heritage into national climate strategies. Example: Aligning LiFE and National Adaptation Fund with site targets
• Green financing: Carbon credits, biodiversity funds, CSR, eco-investment
  UNDP–GEF BIOFIN as model
• Local and Indigenous partnership: Community co-management and benefit-sharing. Example: Eco-Development Committees in Manas and Periyar
• Tech-enabled conservation: AI surveillance, remote sensing, eDNA, drones. Example: IUCN Global Ecosystem Atlas initiative
• Transboundary cooperation: Joint research and ecological corridors. Example: India–Nepal Terai Arc Landscape