|
Protection and management of World Heritage properties should ensure that the outstanding universal value and conditions of integrity are maintained or enhanced in the future. There must be adequate long-term legislative, regulatory, institutional protection and management systems, including adequately delineated boundaries. The protection measures must include detailed analyses of the ways in which the various protection measures actually operate including their effectiveness. Details of these requirements are found in paragraphs 96 to 119 of the Operational Guidelines (2008).
Legislation
Legislative and regulatory measures, including implementation at national to local levels, should assure the survival of the property and its protection against development and change that might negatively impact the outstanding universal value or integrity of the property.
Boundaries
These are critical for effective protection and must ensure the full expression of the outstanding universal value and integrity of the property. Boundaries should reflect the spatial requirements of habitats, species, processes or phenomena that provide the basis for their inscription on the World Heritage List, and include sufficient areas immediately adjacent to the area of Outstanding Universal Value to protect those values from direct effects of human encroachments and impacts of resource use from outside the listed area.
Buffer zones
An area surrounding the listed property with complementary legal restrictions on use and development is necessary to give an added layer of protection. There should be clear explanations of how the buffer zone protects areas of Outstanding Universal Value. If a renomination is considered for an expanded World Heritage Area, cogent reasons would have to be provided if buffer zones were not to be delineated.
Management systems
Management plans should specify how the Outstanding Universal Value of a property is being preserved for present and future generations. Management systems should include regional planning instruments and other (local) planning controls and encompass:
- a thorough shared understanding of the property by all stakeholders
- a cycle of planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and feedback
- the involvement of partners and stakeholders
- the allocation of necessary resources
- capacity-building, and
- an accountable, transparent description of how the management system functions
Effective management plans involve cycles of long-term and day-to-day actions to protect, conserve, restore and present the World Heritage Area and should include risk assessments and risk preparedness. Any human use within and in buffer areas must not adversely impact on the outstanding universal value and integrity of the Area and must be demonstrably ecologically sustainable. |
