UNESCO World Heritage Parks Under Siege

UNESCO World Heritage Parks Under Siege - Almost half (45%) of UNESCO World Heritage parks – the  most ecologically important places on earth - are being plagued by the illegal wildlife trade; 74% of natural World Heritage sites identified by UNESCO as ‘in danger’ are threatened by wildlife poaching and illegal trade. 

UNESCO World Heritage parks are home to a third of the world’s remaining 3,890 wild tigers and 40% of all African elephants.

Natural World Heritage sites are areas recognized by UNESCO as being of outstanding international importance and therefore deserving the highest levels of protection. Yet despite this protected status, a new WWF study has found poaching, illegal logging and fishing are rife on a global scale.

These illicit activities are threatening endangered species with extinction and destroying social, economic and environmental benefits at local, national and international levels.

“Even the wildlife living in places which should benefit from the highest levels of protection are suffering at the hands of criminals. Not only does this threaten the survival of species, but it’s also jeopardising the future heritage of these precious places and the people whose livelihoods depend on them.

We urgently need to see a united front from CITES and the World Heritage Convention to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, especially from these most precious of places; from the poaching and harvesting on site, to the global trafficking and demand,” says Chris Gee, Head of Campaigns at WWF.

More than 90 per cent of natural World Heritage sites support recreation and tourism, provide jobs and are important for water quantity and quality. Many of these benefits are dependent on the presence of iconic animals, many of which are also targeted by poachers.

A new study warns that more than 100 natural World Heritage sites are being severely damaged by encroaching human activities. Credit: Biological Conservation

Said senior author, Dr. James Watson of the University of Queensland and WCS: "Any place that is listed as a World Heritage site is a globally important asset to all of humanity. The world would never accept the Acropolis being knocked down, or a couple of pyramids being flattened for housing estates or roads, yet right now, across our planet, we are simply letting many of our natural World Heritage sites be severely altered."

By highlighting natural World Heritage sites that are in immediate danger, the study provides useful baseline data for future monitoring and protection. It should stimulate the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which meets annually to review the status of World Heritage properties globally, to undertake further action to safeguard natural sites in particular.

 “Between 1970 and 2012, global wildlife populations declined by almost 60 per cent on average, and illegal harvesting of species was one of the main drivers for this decline,” authors wrote. “World Heritage sites now function as the last bastion for many critically endangered species, and unless protected within World Heritage sites, these species will go extinct.

Inger Andersen, the director general of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), said: “This report is a sobering reminder of just how far this type of organised crime can reach, extending even into the supposed safety of World Heritage sites.

“This is a global challenge that can only be tackled through collective, international action.”